Figure It Out
by sjshark23
Summary: May likes Ash, but wants him to find out for himself. Meanwhile, Paul and Gary wage a battle for Dawn's heart. The result? Only they can find that out. AdvanceShipping and VERY minor Cavalier- and Against/IkariShipping. Update 6/2: minor aesthetic changes made to chapters
1. The Start of Things

** If you're reading this, you must have accessed my fourth fanfic (and first AdvanceShipping fic).**

** Fair warning for fans of Paul: Paul is going to be majorly OOC for parts of the fic.**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

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** CHARACTER AGES:**

** Ash: 18**

** May: 17**

** Paul: 19**

** Gary: 18**

** Dawn: 17**

** Drew: 17**

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**FIGURE IT OUT  
**

**CHAPTER 1: THE START OF THINGS**

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Ash Ketchum sat in the small classroom at Viridian High School and sighed. He had better things to do than listen to a lecture on Pokemon type matchups, he reasoned to himself. He could be spending time with his buddies Gary and Paul, having finally settled his differences with the latter. Or he could hang out with May or Dawn, and help them with their Contest moves. He could even be working on new battle strategies with his own Pokemon, especially Pikachu, who was upset that he couldn't come with Ash to school.

He looked around the room, and saw his friends all displaying the same pointed boredom he felt. May had removed her bandanna, her brown hair falling down over the back of her chair when she leaned back on it. Paul was staring blankly out the window, his perpetual cold glare still on his face. Gary had, unbelievably, fallen asleep, something that rarely happened because Gary, as an aspiring Pokemon Professor, had to achieve top grades in order to enter the Research Academy. Dawn was looking down at her paper, stealing quick glances at Paul and turning back when he made any movement.

"So, that concludes this morning's lecture," Professor Oak concluded with a flourish of his marker, turning to face the class. "Any questions before I hand out the week's assignment?" When no-one answered, he looked around. "Nobody? How about you, Gary?" he asked, putting particular emphasis on his grandson's name. Gary woke with a start and looked around wildly, as if he didn't know where he was.

"The answer is seventeen!" he slurred, clearly disoriented, as he tried to wake himself up. When he noticed the whole class staring at him, he turned bright red and hid his face in his hands. Usually, Ash was the one to fall asleep, so now he knew how his friend felt.

"No, Gary, seventeen is not a valid question...or answer," Professor Oak said in a stern voice, although he was trying to stop himself from laughing. As he said this, the bell rang and the class filed out. "Remember to pick up your assignment from the front desk before you leave!" he added as he turned back to the class. Mild laughter and chuckles began to sound as Gary recovered from his embarrassment. The spiky-haired boy ran out of the room, followed by Ash and Paul.

"Well, Gary, now you know what it's like to fall asleep in class!" Ash said as Gary turned to face them.

"I learned from the best, _Ashy-boy_," Gary retorted, though he couldn't help laughing at himself. It was only fair that Ash got to take a shot at him, since he always did the same. Paul smirked and turned to walk down the hall. "What's got you so amused?"

"Just you two, arguing like a couple of little kids," Paul said, not looking at either of them. He had removed his navy jacket, and his dark teal shirt had a tear in the sleeve. As he saw May and Dawn walk by, deep in fervent conversation, his smirk widened and he motioned towards them. "Hey, look, Gary, there's Dawn. I'm sure _she_ was watching you make a fool of yourself in front of everyone. It'd be a pity if you gave her the wrong impression. Ash should know what that's like..."

"What's that supposed to...?" Gary and Ash spluttered at the same time, but a second later another bell rang and they bolted for their next class. Teachers at the school didn't like it when students were late, and the next one was taught by one of the strictest ones around: Professor Rowan.

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"Man, Professor Rowan gives you an earful if you doze off!" Ash groaned as he swung his locker open. His blue-and-white hooded sweatshirt was hanging up inside, and above it was a teal baseball cap instead of his usual red one. He pulled on the sweatshirt, then jammed the hat on his head, flattening his messed-up black hair. His backpack lay on the floor, half-open, and he grabbed it hurriedly before anyone could grab it—people stealing each others bags and turning them inside-out was a popular joke at the time.

Gary had already taken everything he needed out of his own locker, and now he turned to talk to Ash. He had a gray t-shirt on today, with his shard-like pendant hanging from his neck. "You sure have a knack for falling asleep at the wrong time, Ash. Maybe if you'd stop sleeping and start acting, you'd have a chance at beating Drew to May."

"WHAT?" Ash was so shocked he almost squeaked. Luckily, Paul was nowhere in sight, so he was safe from any side comments. "What do you mean, beat Drew to May?"

"I would have assumed you knew," Gary said with a shrewd grin. "Come on, Ashy-boy, it's no secret you like her, but Drew's a quick-witted fellow, and he'll seize any opportunity he gets."

"I do not...!" Ash started to shout, but cut himself off when May arrived right at that moment, tying a knot in the back of her bandanna and smiling broadly.

"Gary, you're not teasing him about falling asleep during Professor Rowan's class, are you?" May asked innocently, though her tone sounded amused. "Seeing as _you_ did the same this morning? I'd say the joke's on you this time, hmm?" she said with a giggle. Gary went red, and Ash hid behind his locker door so that Gary wouldn't see him laughing.

"I...I, uh..." Gary stammered, and May giggled even more. "I'm just kidding, Gary. So Ash, when you're done hiding from me and Gary, shouldn't we head back to your house and work on our contest combinations?"

"Oh, yeah," Ash said, struggling to keep a straight face as he slammed his locker shut. "Yeah, we should definitely do that. Is Dawn coming?"

"No," May said, with no hint of disappointment. "She's going to her extra help session with Professor Birch until five, so it's just us."

"Ok, sure," Ash said, looking around. "Where'd Paul get to?"

"My guess is he went hunting some action," Gary said, looking around too. "Probably another fight, 'cause I saw him punching his locker door earlier. Veilstone's rough, and so's he." Ash knew. Paul had grown up on the wrong side of Veilstone City, and blew off steam in random fights. "And I'm helping Gramps with some experiment today, so I can't come either. So have fun!" he concluded as he ran away, smirking as he did.

** I figured now was as good a time as ever to end the chapter, so I did. Read & Review and ****tell me what you think. This is my first AdvanceShipping fic, so try to help me as much as you can.**


	2. A Stop in the Woods

** Here's Chapter 2.**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

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**FIGURE IT OUT  
**

**CHAPTER 2: A STOP IN THE WOODS**

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Ash and May raced each other back to Pallet Town, taking shortcuts whenever they could. It was a bitterly cold day, being the middle of January, so they were eager to reach Ash's house as soon as possible. Eventually, they became tired of the running, so they started to walk towards the small house on the edge of town.

As they walked through a particularly wooded stretch, they reminisced about their travels through Hoenn, focusing mainly on getting lost in woods like they were in now. There was frost on the trees, and the sky was a light gray. May wasn't used to the frigid temperatures of Kanto, being from the far warmer Hoenn region, but she could put up with worse than that. Ash, meanwhile, inexplicably still wore the short-sleeved hooded sweatshirt he'd worn during his travels in Hoenn, which puzzled May to no end, since the temperature had hit the mid-teens during the week.

As Pallet Town became visible, the conversation turned to the upcoming school Contest. May still hadn't decided who to use, and Ash wanted to know this so he could work with her as much as possible.

"So who're we going to work with this afternoon?" Ash queried, looking at May. She had stopped to look at herself in a small pool of water, and was fixing her hair. May, meanwhile, was making sure Ash saw, and she smiled to herself as she saw him staring at her with a confused and slightly exasperated expression.

"I think today we'll train Glaceon today. Since it's so cold, she'll really enjoy it!" May joked, but then turned serious. "I've decided to use her in the contest because she hasn't appeared since last year's Wallace Cup. I think she's a bit upset that she hasn't competed in so long, so it'll be good for her to perform again."

"I see," Ash said, grinning broadly. "Glaceon's been inactive since winning another Aqua Ribbon, so you're making it up to her now. That's good thinking, May."

"Thanks, Ash. Now, let's get inside quickly before we both freeze!" May pulled Ash's hat over his eyes before bolting for the main road, and Ash followed, not even bothering to fix it.

* * *

Meanwhile, Paul had just returned home and thrown his jacket into a corner. Since he would be fighting later, the jacket would interfere with his ability to hit people, so it was unnecessary. Reggie was in the kitchen, fixing dinner for the two of them. Reggie knew that his younger brother had a fierce temper, but he disapproved of Paul's methods of venting his anger.

"You know, Paul, I would've thought that Dawn girl would calm you down somewhat," Reggie called. He walked into the room as Paul threw himself into a chair and grabbed a pack of cigarettes from the shelf behind him. "She'd distract you from all these fights, if nothing else."

"I don't need her to calm me down," Paul said simply, pulling out one of the thin paper cylinders and lighting the end of it. "She's head-over-heels with that Gary Oak, anyway. Why would she waste her time distracting me? You've seen how she acts when she comes here; if you can't figure that out, you're pathetic."

"Don't try to pull the wool over my eyes, kid," Reggie said with a knowing grin. "I know you've liked her since you got back from Oreburgh City after you won the Coal Badge all those years ago, when you told me about a 'peppy little girl' with navy hair. She was all you talked—well, to be honest, growled—about. Seriously, take a run at her. You might surprise yourself."

"Or I might not," Paul snarled, putting out his cigarette and throwing it into the fireplace. "Reggie, if I wanted to 'take a run at her', I would've done it a while ago. The fact of the matter is she wants to be with Oak, and there's little I can do about it. She doesn't know me well enough anyway; she hated me when we were traveling and I've been in jail half the time afterwards."

"Don't be so sure," Reggie said with another grin. "I've got some experience in this, so I can help you get Dawn away from Gary and you'll have her all to yourself."

Paul digested his older brother's words. "Fine. Hit me with it," he sighed resignedly. "As soon as I'm done being hit by someone else, that is," he added, remembering that he still had a fight to get to...

* * *

When Ash and May reached Ash's house, the first thing either of them cared about was getting something to eat. They made their way into the kitchen, Ash tossing his sweatshirt onto the stair railing as they entered. They found four packages of ramen, and May set about making their usual pre-practice meal while Ash turned on the radio. At that moment, a familiar yellow furball ran into the room and pounced on Ash, surprising the boy and knocking him over.

"Oh, hey, Pikachu!" Ash said, still recovering from the minor shock caused by his partner's sudden appearance. Pikachu looked around, then ran at May when he realized she was there too. May shrieked and dropped the ramen as Pikachu leaped onto her shoulder.

"Hi, Pikachu!" she cried as she realized who was sitting there. After scratching Pikachu's ears, she picked up what she'd dropped and put it on the table. Ash pulled out a bottle of ketchup and tossed it to Pikachu, who set about trying to open it. Ash and May sat down and began to wolf down the noodles, only pausing to breathe and to glance at Pikachu, who was struggling to prise the lid off of the ketchup bottle.

"So May," Ash said as he took a break from his food. "Is Drew entering the school contest? It'd be a shame if he wasn't there to see you win it."

"Oh, naturally," May told him. "Drew's such a narcissist; he wouldn't miss a chance to show off in front of everybody. He's been telling me that he'll comfort me when I lose to him, but I told him to go show off someplace else."

"Well said. If anyone needs putting in their place, it's Drew. I suppose Paul could rough him up a bit..."

"Ash!" May reprimanded as she got up from the table. "Don't you think Paul's gotten in enough trouble already? If anyone was to give Drew what he deserves, it might as well be you or Gary." She looked down at Pikachu, who was now trying to get one of them to help him open the ketchup bottle. "Preferably you, Ash," she added quietly as she walked away, so that Ash couldn't hear...

** This seemed like a good place to end this chapter.**

** Like I've mentioned before, I'm a rookie when it comes to the whole romance thing, so bear with me as I work out the kinks. R&R and give me your opinion.**


	3. Enter Drew

** Here's Chapter 3.**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

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**FIGURE IT OUT  
**

**CHAPTER 3: ENTER DREW**

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"And then I made a big mistake by having Gliscor use Steel Wing against Torterra," It was lunchtime of the next day, and Ash was recounting his full battle with Paul four years ago. May and Gary were intrigued, but it was old news for Dawn, since she was there, so she paid little attention. Paul, being the lone wolf that he was, never sat with them, so they didn't get to hear his opinion on the whole thing.

"Hmm, Ash making a mistake," Gary said with mock surprise. "You should pay more attention during Gramps' lectures on battle strategy, Ashy-boy. It would help you out a lot more than catching forty winks during class."

"Leave him alone, Gary," May said reproachfully, looking at Ash with concern. "He was being impetuous as always, from what I'm hearing." After this unexpected statement, she went bright red and smiled, embarrassed.

"Impetuous is an understatement, May," Dawn said, looking around for Paul, to see if he was listening from somewhere nearby. "He got caught up in the heat of the moment, so he didn't think before he acted."

"Because he always has before," Gary replied with a touch of sarcasm in his voice, causing Ash to put his head down on the table in embarrassment and May to giggle. "Face it, Ash, you'll never win a major battle without thinking clearly, so you need to let the excitement fade for you to do that. _I_ certainly know how to do that." he added, looking at Dawn to see if she noticed, but she was now just staring into space.

"Hey, I didn't need to think to beat you!" Ash retorted, his voice muffled by his face's closeness to the table. "I won that battle through power and...and..." he tried to think of a reason that didn't involve thinking, but couldn't. At this point, Paul walked up, smirking at Ash's dilemma. He had clearly taken a beating the other night, having several bruises on his face and a two-inch gash in his right cheek.

"What's this loser doing? Trying to justify his weakness or something? You're almost as pathetic as that Infernape I released back in the day..."

"What was that?" Ash's head shot up from the table, and he immediately grabbed the back of his neck. "Honestly, I'm going to give myself whiplash one of these days...and what did you say about Infernape? If I remember correctly..." Paul held up his hand to signal Ash to shut up.

"I don't need to hear your lame excuses," Paul growled. "I just stopped by to see what nonsense you were spewing. I'm out of here," He turned on his heel and stalked out of the cafeteria, his hands deep in the pockets of his jacket, with shouts of 'Get lost, jailbird!' and other derisive comments from some of the rich kids following him. The one who started it was a familiar green-haired coordinator.

"Man, what's his deal?" growled Ash, as he watched Paul leave. He looked at Dawn, whose eyes were glazed over as she stared at the arrogant trainer's receding back. "Uh, Dawn, are you okay? You're a little spacey,"

"Huh?" Dawn said as she fell out of her semi-trance. She noticed everyone looking at her and went red, giggling nervously. "O-oh, no, I'm fine. I just think Paul needs to lighten up a bit." Everyone nodded skeptically, knowing that something else was going on here.

"That's an understatement too," Ash said quietly. "Why does he have to be such a jerk to everyone? I would've thought losing so many major battles might change him, but he's still the same way he was when we were rivals in Sinnoh."

"Ash, that's just how he is," May reassured him in a soothing voice. "Nothing you do will change him." The bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch period. "And we'd better get to class, before Professor Rowan gives you another detention."

"Right," Ash reluctantly got up and started for the door. The rest of the group followed suit, but as they headed out, the aforementioned green-haired coordinator stood up and approached them.

"Ah, May, you're just the person I wanted to see. Hello there, Ketchum, Oak, Hikari."

"Stanton," Ash responded with ill-disguised contempt. The two didn't like each other one bit, due in part to Drew's snobbishness and Ash's obstinacy. The green-haired teen flicked his hair and smirked.

"Now's not the time for a confrontation, Ketchum. Why don't you run along and mind your own business. I wish to speak to Miss Maple...er-hem..._alone_." He indicated that they should do so, and with a final, furious look, Ash turned away and left the room, followed by Gary and Dawn. "Now, May...I wish to ask you once again: have you reconsidered my invitation of several weeks ago?"

"You mean the one to the Winter Ball right after the school Pokemon Contest? Well, my answer is the same as before: no. I will _not_ attend the Winter Ball with you, Drew Stanton, so stop asking me."

"So stubborn," Drew sighed dramatically, flicking his hair again. "You'll eventually come to appreciate me, May Maple. I can only hope that day comes quickly."

"Or it might not," she retorted coldly, and made sure to bump into Drew before she followed Ash and the others out the door. She didn't notice the widening smirk on the coordinator's face, or hear what he said as she left.

"Oh, yes, May, it will. Sooner than you think..."

** So that's that. I figured I'd cut the chapter off here, 'cause I've got a MAJOR case of writer's block and am attempting to find a good way to introduce the Gary vs Paul for Dawn plotline.**

**Alright, enough of my nonsense, please R&R! I turn 19 tomorrow so it'll be nice to get some reviews for this fic!**


	4. Training and a Bet

** Here's Chapter 4.**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

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**FIGURE IT OUT  
**

**CHAPTER 4: TRAINING AND A BET**

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After school that day, Ash and May were once again working on Contest combinations in Ash's yard. Not having anything better to do, the rest of the group had joined them, even Paul. Right now, May and Glaceon were currently trying to perfect their routine for the Appeals round, and the others were leaning up against a fence watching and calling out suggestions and comments.

Dawn was waiting by the gate, while Piplup desperately tried to get out of his trainer's arms and run around the yard. Gary was smirking at Ash, who was unknowingly staring at May while she called out commands to Glaceon, and Paul was scowling at Dawn's efforts to restrain Piplup. Dawn noticed Paul looking at her, and she walked over to him.

"Soooo...which Pokemon are you going to use in the Contest, Paul?" Dawn had begged Paul to enter the contest, and he had eventually caved in just to make her shut up. "It'll be nice to see your Pokemon not fighting for once,"

"I still don't know why I even entered in the first place. My Pokemon are meant for battling, not showing off to a crowd." Paul growled, looking at Dawn with annoyance. "Probably Weavile, 'cause she's the weakest Pokemon on my current team." Dawn was about to respond, but Paul stopped her before she could. "Listen, my Pokemon don't perform, and if I don't get past the first round, so what? At least I won't have any other opportunity to make fools of my Pokemon, unlike the rest of you." He targeted this last comment to Ash and Gary, who stared in confusion. "Got a problem with that?"

"N-no, Paul. To tell the truth, we have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

"You wouldn't," Paul growled again, lighting a cigarette. Dawn cringed; she hated it when Paul smoked around his friends. It just wasn't right, according to her, but she knew that Paul wouldn't stop if she told him to, so she just glared as he stood there, wisps of smoke emerging from the cigarette.

"So Ash," May said, startling them all, "what'd ya think? Glaceon's really looking sharp out there, and she can't wait to get the contest started." She sidled over to Ash and leaned up against the fence, mimicking his pose as he stood there. Dawn giggled slightly and dashed off to where May had been standing before, preparing to start practicing her appeal, while Gary smirked knowingly and Paul just scowled. "Who're you guys going to use?" she asked the other boys.

"Probably Umbreon, for the appeals round anyway." Gary told her, as Dawn released her Pachirisu and began calling out commands. "It came down to a decision between him and Arcanine, and in the end Umbreon showed me a better appeal, so he's it."

"Sounds cool. What about you, Paul?" May asked the purple-haired trainer, who growled something unintelligible and turned away. "Oh, I get it, you want to keep it a surprise until the contest actually starts!" May giggled and turned to Ash. "And Ash?"

"I dunno," Ash shrugged. "Maybe Pikachu, or Buizel. Maybe even Sceptile. I haven't given it much thought."

"Well, whoever you pick, I'm sure they'll be great!" May smiled, making Ash go slightly red, then ran over to Dawn, who had just been hit with Pachirisu's Discharge by accident. Gary smirked, and looked at Paul, who had by now tossed his cigarette aside and stood with his hands in his pockets, wishing he were somewhere else.

"Looks like a certain _somebody_ likes a certain _someone_, Ashy-boy," Ash cocked an eyebrow, confused. "Oh, don't give me that, Ash, even you know it. You like May, don't you,"

"What're you talking about?" Ash responded, blushing again. "I like her, yeah, but she's my friend, what do you expect. If I didn't like her..."

"You know what I mean," Gary said with a knowing smirk. "You _like_ her, Ashy-boy. The question is, does she _like_ you back?"

"Does she?" Ash asked him,and Gary smirked again.

"Figure it out, Ash. But be quick about it, or Drew'll get to her before you know it. He's a wily one, that Drew, and he'll do his best to beat you to her." Ash nodded, scowling at the mention of the snobbish coordinator, and walked over to Dawn, who was shouting about how her hair was a mess. Gary turned to Paul. "You think he'll figure it out for himself, Paul? We all know May likes him, but I think Ash is too dense to find out."

"It's possible," Paul answered, scowling. "And you'd think Dawn would figure out that you like her, the way you act. It's ridiculous. If you like her, just tell her."  
"Paul, everyone else knows you like her too. She seems to like you back, but she also seems to like me as well. So, what're we going to do about it?"

"Search me," Paul growled. "Again, if you like her, just tell her."

"Without beating you first? Get real." Gary thought for a moment, then plunged on. "Here's a thought. Regardless of who tells whom, they'll eventually be together, right?"

"You sound just like Dawn. She could never resist setting people up, just look at Misty and Tracey. They went to the same college just so they could be together, and guess who got them together in the first place."

"Not the point. What I'm trying to say is, you think that Ash will be able to find out for himself, right?" Paul nodded curtly, and Gary continued. "So here's the deal: if May tells Ash, I get the first shot at asking Dawn to the Winter Ball the day after the contest. If Ash finds out himself, you get the first shot." Gary held out a hand, and Paul pondered the brown-haired future researcher's words, then grasped Gary's hand with his own.

"Deal."

**Alright, not much shipping in this admittedly chapter, but I'm trying to set the tone for the rest of the story. Like I said in a previous author's note, I'm still new to the whole romance thing, so I'm following a trend that I've noticed in certain situations.**

** Anyway, enough ranting, please read and review. More reviews mean quicker updates (I can't make any promises, though).**


	5. Buizel VS Absol: 1 VS 1!

** And so begins Chapter 5 of Figure It Out.**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**FIGURE IT OUT  
**

**CHAPTER 5: BUIZEL VS ABSOL! 1 VS 1!**

* * *

That night, after the other three had gone home, Ash and May were still at it, trying to perfect an appeal combination for Pikachu. Ash still hadn't decided which Pokemon to use in the appeals round, so he figured it couldn't hurt to have one prepared in case the chosen Pokemon couldn't go. May seconded this notion, so Ash was trying to fine-tune a move that involved Pikachu slamming the ground with Iron Tail, then using Thunderbolt on the clumps of dirt that came up from the impact. Since the contest would be held by the lakeshore, it seemed like the perfect move.

"That move looks really cool, Ash!" May complimented from the sidelines, as Pikachu did a backflip and landed on the tip of his tail. "Are you gonna use it in the appeals round or the battle round?"

"No idea," Ash admitted, as Pikachu leaped through the air again, trying to perfect the timing of his Thunderbolt. "I thought I'd use Pikachu for the appeals, but then I thought of how awesome Buizel was at the Wallace Cup way back when, so I considered him. In fact," he added, taking out a Poke Ball, "Pikachu, come over here! Let's show May what Buizel's appeal looks like. Buizel, I choose you!" The orange Sea Weasel Pokemon emerged, and folded his arms in an obvious challenging pose.

"So Buizel's gonna show off for us?" May asked, as Pikachu leaped onto her head to watch. "Pikachu, what're you doing up there?" she asked the small Electric-type with a giggle. Pikachu just shrugged, and pointed to Ash and Buizel, indicating that she should pay attention to them instead of him. May smiled, and watched as the raven-haired teen and his Pokemon started off.

"Alright, Buizel, use Water Gun to launch yourself into the air!" Buizel fired a blast of water from his mouth and used it to push himself upwards, and May gasped as the water began to freeze. "Now, use SonicBoom to smash that ice!" A shock wave was sent from Buizel's twin tails, cutting through the ice. Buizel landed, ready to continue. "Now, finish up with Aqua Jet!" The small otter-like Pokemon cloaked himself in water and leaped towards the shards of ice that were flying everywhere. The low temperature caused the Aqua Jet to freeze, and Buizel crashed through the ice and shook the surrounding ice off at the last minute, sending a shower of frozen shards flying all around it. May, for her part, was speechless.

"How...?" was all she could get out. She had, of course, seen the Ice Aqua Jet before, but had never seen Buizel shake the ice off himself before. Regaining her composure, she asked again. "How did he do that?"

"We've been working on that technique for a while," Ash responded, recalling Buizel. "Buizel started up the Ice Aqua Jet a few years ago, and I thought shaking the ice off would make for a great contest appeal. I'm still not sure whether I'll use Buizel in the appeal round, though."

"Well, I'm sure he'll do well no matter which round he enters, he'll be great." May told him. "I've seen him compete before, and he's a good performer. He..." she cut off as she noticed someone walking towards them. "Who's that?" she asked Ash in a voice just above a whisper.

"It better not be who I think it is," Ash growled, and Pikachu's cheeks sparked a little. Pikachu's actions caused May to jump, as she'd forgotten he was still on top of her head. Ash's suspicions were confirmed as the all-too-familiar form of Drew walked out of the trees, applauding slowly.

"Wonderful, wonderful," the green-haired coordinator said in a mock-impressed tone, causing Ash to growl once again. "So the great Ash Ketchum has decided to grace us with an attempt at finesse rather than force. How sweet of him," he sneered, and May grabbed Ash's arm to prevent him from going after Drew. "May, my dear, let him go. He's not worth the effort," At this, Pikachu jumped off May's head and growled at the arrogant young man, while May looked shocked at the way Drew had addressed her.

"_My dear_?" May was so indignant she almost squeaked. "Since when have you called me _my __dear_, Drew. You've certainly picked up some smooth vocabulary, but it won't work on me."

"Yeah," Ash added as he moved in front of May. "What were you doing spying on us, anyway, Stanton? Don't you have your own Pokemon to work with?"

"I'm giving them a well-deserved break," Drew said, flipping his hair. "You see, I anticipate little competition in the upcoming contest...besides, of course, Miss Maple," he added with a smirk, as May fumed. "Therefore, I don't feel the need to push my Pokemon as hard as you do." Drew smiled, then ploughed on. "As you may have realized, my Pokemon are better suited to the elegant dance of the Pokemon Contest than yours, who have spent their entire time with you preparing for the graceless violence of gym battles. And you are now, as you did when the pair of you were traveling, conditioning Miss Maple's Pokemon to battle as they would in a gym, rather than in a contest."

"And yet I still managed to beat your 'elegant dance' style at the Grand Festival, didn't I, Drew?" May retorted, furious at how Drew was putting down Ash's training style. "Face it, Drew, you'll never win as long as your ego blocks your abilities. You may be a talented coordinator, but you're really just full of hot air!"

"Ah, such fire," Drew responded dramatically, flipping his hair again. "It is that sort of fiery spirit that makes me wish you were mine, May. I will credit Ash with one thing, if anything, and that's that he's instilled this passion for such things in you. Other than that, he remains a dense, overachieving loudmouth who couldn't even get past the second round of the Hoenn League."

"What was that?" Ash yelled, losing his temper at last. "I'll have you know..."  
"Save it," Drew cut him off, raising a hand to silence the fuming teen. "I don't need to hear excuses. As for you," he addressed the brunette, who stared angrily at him, "I wish to ask again. Have you reconsidered my invitation to..."

"No, she hasn't," Ash said, a little too quickly. Both Drew and May turned to look at him, and he glared at Drew with ill-disguised contempt. "She obviously doesn't want to go to that Winter Ball thing with you, Stanton, so why don't you just take a hint and drop it!"

"Who else is there for her to go with? You? Don't make me laugh." Drew sneered, flipping his hair. "Why would she choose a dense, overachieving idiot like you when she could attend with a more sophisticated, better-looking..."

"Oh, shut it, Drew," May finally snapped, losing her own patience. "You talk big, but you always come up empty in the end. Ash may be dense," she said, causing Ash to stiffen slightly, "but at least he doesn't have to hide his incompetence behind a smooth-talking, narcissistic barrier. You make me sick, Drew Stanton."

"Ah, we both know you don't mean that, May," Drew answered, though he backed up a bit in surprise. May glared, and he stepped back again. "Very well, then. I won't take up any more of your time tonight. I will see you tomorrow, I suppose."

"Not so fast, Stanton!" Ash shouted, prompting Drew to stop and look at him. "Let's have a battle, right here and now! I'll show you who's better!"

"Very well," Drew sighed, knowing that Ash wouldn't back down unless he accepted. "Why don't we make it just one-on-one, that way I can finish you quickly and be on my way."

"Deal!"

* * *

Ash and Drew faced each other from opposite sides of the yard, with May standing by the fence, Pikachu on her shoulder. Ash looked at Drew with an unusual fire in his eyes, one that had been absent since his last battle with Paul. Drew merely smirked, thinking that he could easily overpower Ash and get out of there.

"Now, Buizel, I choose you!" Buizel reappeared, ready for battle.

"Absol, go!" The coarse-furred Disaster Pokemon emerged from his Poke Ball and looked down at Buizel, who didn't flinch.

"Okay, let the match begin!" May called, a hint of trepidation in her voice.

"I'll start!" Ash yelled. "Alright, Buizel, Aqua Jet!" Buizel surrounded himself with water and rushed at Absol, who simply waited for Drew to give him an order.

"Now, Absol, Razor Wind!" The blade on Absol's head glowed a harsh white, and Absol threw a blade of white energy at Buizel, who crashed into it head-on and fell, taking minor damage. "Quick, Iron Tail while it's stunned!" The white-furred Pokemon's tail glowed, and it jumped at the prone Buizel.

"Water Pulse!" Ash called in a slight panic, and Buizel jumped to his feet and sent a watery orb at Absol. Absol couldn't dodge in time, and was hit by the blue orb. He landed awkwardly, and looked at Drew for a new command.

"Use Flash to blind that weasel!" Drew told him, and Absol released a dazzling light that caused Buizel to cover its eyes in pain. "Now, Iron Tail once more!" Absol's tail glowed again, and he jumped at the still-recovering Buizel.

"Buizel, watch out! Hit it with Water Gun!" Buizel blindly aimed and fired a stream of water that caught Absol head-on, sending it flying back, beaten.

"Absol can't continue, so Ash and Buizel win!" May shouted, and Pikachu ran to his trainer to congratulate him. Drew, for his part, huffed and recalled Absol, still smirking.

"You may have won this round, Ketchum, but you'll lose eventually!" With that last parting shot, Drew turned and walked out of the yard. May ran to Ash, who was congratulating Buizel on his victory.

"You and Buizel were great, Ash!" she said, as she hugged him quickly. As soon as she realized what she was doing, she pulled back, her face as red as her bandanna. "Um, well, it's getting late. I should really be getting home."

"Alright then," Ash said, his face red as well. "D'you want me to walk with you? It's really not safe at night, even here in Pallet."

"I guess," May answered, and the two of them began to walk out towards the gate. As they approached May's house, which wasn't too far from Ash's, she asked him another question. "Ash, d'you think Drew is strong enough to beat me at the contest?"

"Absolutely not," Ash replied, annoyance creeping into his voice. "He's just concerned about his image, not about his Pokemon. If you stick to whatever your plan is, you'll beat him. I know it."

"Thanks, Ash," May said, blushing slightly. They reached her house, and she walked up the steps. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Ash."

"Yeah," Ash replied, and turned towards his own home, still thinking about earlier...

**Well, isn't that nice? Drew decided to show up and create some havoc, which admittedly didn't seem like much. This is my longest chapter yet and probably the best of the lot...but that's just my opinion.**

** As always, please keep reading, and maybe, just maybe, ya might consider dropping me a review somewhere along the line. Reviews are worth a thousand views, in my book. Until next time, then!**

Pokémon


	6. The Contest Details Revealed

** Alrighty then, Chapter 6. Many thanks to my reviewers so far.**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**FIGURE IT OUT  
**

**CHAPTER 6-THE CONTEST DETAILS REVEALED  
**

* * *

The next morning, every student at Viridian High was packed into the auditorium for the "informational meeting" for the school's Contest. Professor Oak was trying in vain to quiet the crowd, and Professor Rowan had to roar for silence. When he achieved the desired effect, Rowan turned the mike over to Oak.

"Many thanks, Professor Rowan," Oak began, slightly flustered at his colleague's rather brutal suppression of the noise. "Now, today's assembly will detail the upcoming Contest, which is scheduled to begin next Monday. For those of you who signed up, wonderful; for those who are content to just sit and watch, that's also wonderful. We need spectators as well as contestants, so don't feel bad for not getting out there."

"I'm feeling bad for not staying out of this mess," Paul commented, obviously uninterested. "Like I said before, my Pokemon are fighters, not performers."

"Oh, lighten up, Paul," May reprimanded, as Paul closed his eyes and went to sleep. She shook her head and looked at Ash, who had also fallen asleep. "Ash, wake up, will you? You don't want to miss this, do you?"

"Huh?" Ash muttered, looking around. "Sorry, May, I didn't get much sleep last night. Did I miss much?"

"No, just Oak's opening remarks. Now pay attention, this is important!" she hissed, and pointed forward to indicate that Ash do as she said.

"Yes ma'am," Ash murmured quietly, and tried to listen to Professor Oak.

"First off," Oak continued, "the Contest's duration. There will be two days of appeals, followed by three battle rounds spaced over four days. The battles will be double battles, so make sure you have at least two Pokemon ready should you advance. After the third battle round, there will be a day off for the finalists to prepare, and the final round, also a double battle, will be held at the end of next week.

Now for the contest dress code. Dressing up is highly encouraged, but not mandatory. However, try to make an effort to look at least civilized. You are, after all, showing yourself off as well as your Pokemon. As for seals, you may use them if you wish, but again they are not required."

"So now we've each gotta pick an outfit," Dawn whispered excitedly to the rest of the group, who let out a collective groan. Once Dawn started searching for an outfit, she was lucky if she found one that suited her within the next decade. "No need to worry, I'll help all of you out! I'll even find something nice for Paul to wear!" she added brightly, looking at the plum-haired teen, who was still asleep. "Then again, he looks fine the way he is," she finished, as Paul jerked awake in alarm.

"He'll never go out of his way to look good," Gary commented, grinning at his friend's discomfort. "I'll be easier to impress than him, Dawn. Don't sweat it, I'll come up with something amazing. You just focus on making yourself look cute."

"I'm sure you will," Dawn answered, slightly put-out, and sat back to listen to Professor Oak again.

"The day after the Contest, everyone in the school, be they contestant or spectator, is invited to the annual Winter Ball, held at the Pewter City Gym." Professor Oak added. "Brock Slate and his family have allowed us to make use of the Gym for the evening, and we will need volunteers to supervise decorations and the like. Anyone interested should contact Nurse Joy." He paused. "Alright then, that seems to be all. To finish up, I will introduce the judges for the contest. First, the inter-regional Contest director, Mr. Raoul Contesta!"

"Thank you, Professor," Contesta said as he was introduced. "I will of course look forward to the masterful use of Pokemon to put on a spectacular display."

"Next, the president of the Pokemon Fan Club, Mr. Sukizo!"

"This contest will be remarkable!" Sukizo announced as he made his way onstage. Everyone laughed halfheartedly, wishing that the Fan Club president would find a new word to overuse.

"And finally," Oak paused for a second, whether it was for dramatic effect or not was immaterial, "Viridian City's own Nurse Joy!"

"It will be a contest to remember for a long time!" the Pokemon Nurse announced, smiling broadly as she appeared. She was known for getting a point across quickly and simply, without a whole lot of fancy words.

"And there you have it, everyone! Our three judges will be overseeing the preparation of the contest venue and organize the order of events. They will also be observing the preparations done by the contestants themselves, so make sure you practice hard!" Oak paused again, then continued. "That's all for this morning. Good day to you all!"

* * *

"That was pointless," Paul growled as the group exited the auditorium. He didn't like the idea of having to dress up for the contest, and the fact that Dawn wanted to help him out in this regard made him even more wary.

"Come on, Paul," Ash said with a grin, "lighten up already, will ya? You _did_ decide to enter, so why not at least try to have some fun with it?"

"Hn," was Paul's only response. Ash's face hardened slightly as Paul turned and walked away from the others, probably looking for someone to fight. Gary was watching the arrogant trainer walk away as well, and his face, too, was set in an annoyed glance. Dawn and May were busy chattering about what they might wear to the Contest and Winter Ball, a topic neither Ash nor Gary were about to comment on. Ash looked at Gary, wondering what to do. Gary smiled mischievously, and Ash sweatdropped; he didn't like that look at all.

"What're you thinking about, Gary? Whenever you get that look on your face, it means trouble's just around the corner."

"I was thinking that it might be the perfect time for you to..." Gary faked a cough, then continued, "_make your move_, Ashy-boy. May's right there, just go up to her and ask her to that ball!"

"WHAT?" Ash was so shocked he almost squeaked. "Gary, you've come up with some crazy ideas, but this one takes the prize! Why would I just walk up to her and ask her? It's not what I do..."

"Well, you're going to _do_ it now," Gary announced, getting ready to push Ash towards May. "Don't worry, I've got your back, Ashy-boy. It's not that difficult."

"Then why don't you ask Dawn first, so I can see how it's done?"

"No can do, Ash. Me and Paul have a little wager going, so I've gotta hold back until one of us wins. But then, he's Paul. He won't do anything even if he does win. So for now, I've got to settle for at least two of you getting together." Before Ash could protest further, Gary had pushed him over to where May and Dawn were, and dashed away to see how Ash handled it.

Over by the doors, May and Dawn were deep in discussion about the morning's assembly. Dawn was naturally going to help supervise decorations for the Winter Ball, and she also decided to take it upon herself to help her friends find outfits for the contest.

"So May," Dawn was saying, so excited to be talking about fashion and the like that her speech was almost unintelligible, she was talking so fast. "what're you planning on wearing at the contest? I think you should totally wear that blue dress you found last week! It looked so great on you!"

"I don't know, Dawn," May said, backing up a little at her friend's rapid-fire questioning. "I really haven't given it much thought, to be honest. It's going to take time..."

"Well, I'll help you out, May!" Dawn answered, her excitement building. "We'll make it look so good, it'll totally impress Ash!"

"DAWN!" May hissed, turning red as she glanced wildly around, checking to see if Ash had heard. "He doesn't even know I like him, so why would I go out of my way to make him like me?"

"It makes perfect sense!" Dawn squealed, oblivious to her friend's embarrasment. "You totally like him, so this is the perfect way to show him! He'll totally fall for you if you play the cards right!"

"But what if I don't want to show him?" May asked, her blush darkening. "What if I want him to find out for himself? It's not, er..." she searched for the right expression to explain her logic, "well, it's not the proper thing for a girl to just tell a boy she likes him right out of left field! I want him to show me he likes me back before I get my heart set on him."

"Well, if you're waiting for him to make the first move, good luck, May. Ash may be four years older now, but he's still as dense as a Rhyhorn's skeleton. If you want him, go grab him while you can. He won't be around forever, ya know?"

"I hear you," May said, her blush now starting to fade. "Maybe it's best if I do...oh, hi, Ash." she finished nervously, as she noticed the black-haired teen standing a few feet away.

"Hi, um, May," Ash said, equally as nervous with a slowly darkening blush. Gary had dashed behind May while he approached, and was now gesturing to his friend, looking for all the world like a scatterbrained mime. "Um, listen, May, uh...about that ball thingy..."

"Yes?" May asked, a hint of eagerness in her voice. Behind her, Gary made a jubilant motion, then recovered and began egging Ash on. Dawn noticed this and shoved him aside, an annoyed look on her face.

"Well, since we've been friends for all these years, I thought maybe you'd...uhhh..." he stammered, then dashed away, his face turning from red to green as quickly as a set of traffic lights. Gary watched him disappear with a worried expression, and then ran after him at full speed, causing people to jump out of the way in panic.

"Oh," May sighed, her disappointment obvious. "I think he was going to ask me to the Winter Ball, but he couldn't do it. He really did try..." _Maybe he does like me,_ she thought. _I wish he'd managed to get the words out, though. It'd save me the trouble of telling him I like him._ "Um, I think we'd better get to class, Dawn." she said to the blunette, who nodded and followed her.

* * *

_Jeez, I really blew it back there!_ Ash thought as he leaned against his locker, his breathing fast and shallow. _I have a chance to tell her how I feel, and I...I CHOKED! That really set me back a bit,_ he thought bitterly as Gary caught up to him, breathing hard.

"Ash, what the hell was that about?" the spiky-haired teen panted, annoyance in his voice. "You get a chance to ask the girl of your dreams to a big dance, and you can't even get past the pleasantries! What's up with you, man?"

"I don't know, Gary," Ash hissed as he struggled to regain his composure. "It's just, I've never had to do something like that before, and it scared me to death. It's not something I like to think about."

"Well, you'd better think about it," Gary told his friend, his meaning clear. Ash knew; it meant that he'd better regroup and try again before Drew took another shot at May. Knowing Drew, he wouldn't give up until May answered yes, so he had to make another run at her before the other beat him to the punch.

"I know it," Ash sighed, finally recovering from his previous ordeal. He pushed his hair out of his eyes and ran his hand through it, thoroughly humiliated. "I guess I'd better try again soon, huh?"

"It's a must," Gary said with finality, and they headed off to their first class.

** Alright, so Ash fails miserably in his first attempt at asking May to a dance. Will he ever succeed, or will Drew finally break through May's defenses and win her heart? The answer will be revealed when I feel like revealing it.**

** Now, on to other matters. I need to know what the secondary ship in this fic should be. I've been hinting heavily at IkariShipping, but I know that if I do that, the CavalierShippers who read this will probably get mad, and vice-versa. So I want you readers to tell me which one ****should win out in the end. Either post it in a review, or vote in the poll on my profile. Whichever pairing wins out will be the one I use, so vote today!**


	7. Paul Finally Snaps

** OK, then, here's Chapter 7. A quick glance at my scorecard here...alright, so far the total score in my secondary ship vote is: IkariShipping 4 ,CavalierShipping 3. I'll probably reveal who wins the bet between Gary and Paul in Chapter 9, so keep the votes coming until then.**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**FIGURE IT OUT  
**

**CHAPTER 7-PAUL FINALLY SNAPS**

* * *

During classes that day, all Ash could think about was his botched attempt to ask May to the Winter Ball. He tried to push it to the back of his mind, but the embarrassment kept seeping in and coloring everything. Gary tried to get him to forget it by bringing up some of the more humorous moments in their rivalry, but all he managed to do was depress Ash even more. Paul, for his part, just smirked at Ash's predicament, a fact that Ash didn't like one bit.

"Will you guys just drop it already?" Ash finally snapped at the end of the day, still frustrated by his previous failure. "I messed up, I know, so please just knock it off!"

"Sorry, Ash," Gary apologized, though he looked like he was going to laugh. "We're just trying to help you out, not poking fun at your...rather hilarious...ha...!" Gary couldn't stop himself, he burst out laughing and leaned against a locker for support. Paul smirked, finding the situation just as amusing as Gary did.

"Ya see?" Ash hissed, lightly punching Gary on the arm. "You guys can't keep it quiet, can you? Good thing Drew didn't see it, otherwise..."

"Otherwise what, Ketchum?" At this, Ash groaned. Drew had walked up to them, and his ever-present arrogant sneer was even nastier today. "I _did_ see your failed attempt to win Miss Maple, and I can assure you that with a performance like that, she will be begging me to be with her. Perhaps that will teach you to leave well enough alone."

"You know what, Drew?" Ash snarled, his eyes narrowed. "I think you're just bitter that she rejected you so many times, so you're making up for it by trying to dissuade her from being with me. That sound accurate?"

"So hot-tempered," Drew sighed, flipping his hair. "Why would I go out of my way to remove you from her heart when you're doing a wonderful job of doing it yourself?" Drew's smirk widened as he got the desired effect of Ash having to restrain himself from going after him. "Here's a thought, Ketchum. Why not just leave May be, and go after someone else? Maybe that slut Dawn, I'm sure she'd love to have you..." He was cut off as a fist flew from out of nowhere and caught him across the face, sending him flying back into a row of lockers. Ash and Gary looked stunned as Paul started towards Drew, and they quickly grabbed his arms to prevent him from doing anything else.

"_Never_," Paul snarled, hatred on his face, "call her that again. You hear me, Stanton?" Paul tried to shake loose from Ash and Gary, but they wouldn't let him go. Drew looked shocked at Paul's sudden loss of temper, and rushed off to avoid any more problems, blood streaming from his nose. When Drew was out of sight, the two released Paul, who turned and slammed his fist into a locker.

"_What in Arceus' name was that about_?" Ash gasped, looking like he'd just seen a Ghost-type. "I can't believe you just did that! Why'd you go and hit him? He just called Dawn something really foul, but that's no reason to jump him like that!"

"He's had it coming for a while," Paul growled, staring at the ground, breathing heavily. "He has no right to call anyone that, not even a pest like Dawn." Gary and Ash stared, not knowing what was going on with Paul that would make him lose his cool like that. "Don't look at me like that. I may not think she's the greatest company, but I'm not a misogynist. Even I know where to draw the line on such things." He punched the locker again, then turned back to the others. "Come on, let's get out of here. I want to see how early I'm going to get knocked out of that contest."

"O-okay," Gary stammered, and the three headed for the main foyer, where the order of competitors was posted. Paul moved ahead, and Gary turned to Ash. "What do you reckon that was about?"

"Search me," Ash admitted, shrugging. Then a sudden, unbelievably strange thought hit him. "Gary, d'you reckon Paul likes Dawn?"

"You're a real rocket scientist, Ashy-boy. Of course he likes Dawn, you idiot, why else would he try to push her away like he does? He just doesn't want to show it, that's why he acts so cold when she's around."

"Odd way of showing a girl you like her," Ash mused, shaking his head. The whole concept was just too complicated for him.

"It's better than looking sick when you try to ask them out!" Gary said, and ran off before Ash could respond.

* * *

"_So_," Dawn said as she and May approached the foyer to check when their appeals were scheduled, "d'you think Ash'll ask you again? He really seemed to want to the first time, but as always he can't bring himself to do it." She looked at May, who didn't seem to hear. "May!" Dawn said, snapping her fingers in front of May's face, waking her friend up from her reverie. "Answer me? Do you think Ash will ask you again?"

"I don't know, Dawn," May sighed, looking around for Ash and the rest of the group. "He didn't even get half the words out before he bolted. I really thought he meant it, too. Maybe it's just wishful thinking."

"Don't say that, May!" Dawn gasped, looking shocked. "He's totally in love with you, May! It's only when a boy is completely in love with a girl that he reacts like that, even someone as dense as Ash! That should be proof enough!"

"So, why did half the boys who asked you out run for it, then?" May asked teasingly, countering Dawn's admittedly true logic. "Were they _totally in love_ with you, or were they just scared that Paul was there and might hit them if they pushed the issue with you?"

"Don't change the subject," Dawn blushed at the mention of Paul's name, annoyed that May was putting up such a resistance to her questioning. Obviously, she wouldn't be getting anything more out of her right now. "Oh, look, here come the boys. Let's look at the schedule and find out when we're all appealing." Dawn and May walked over to the message board, where the others were already scanning the papers for their names. "Hey, look, everyone, I'm gonna be going first of us to go!" Dawn squealed as she saw _**'Berlitz-Hikari, Dawn'**_ in bold print on the sheet.

"Why'd they use your full name, Dawn?" May asked as she noticed the surname. "I thought you preferred to just use your mom's maiden name. Didn't you tell them not to put Berlitz on the paper?"

"Not important right now. Right now, _you-know-who_ is important." Dawn said, giving May a meaningful look. "Oh, here's your name, May!" Sure enough, a few lines below Dawn's name was **_'Maple, May'_**. "We're almost right after one another, so we can hang out longer before we appeal! And there's Drew, right before us," she added sourly, as she saw **_'Stanton, Drew'_** above their names.

"Here I am," Ash announced, as he located _**'Ketchum, Ash'**_ on a separate paper. "So three of us are on the first day. Interesting. We get to finish up quick and watch the other appeals, and maybe figure out a strategy for the battle round."

"And the rest of us have to wait around," Gary said with a grin, looking at Paul. Paul closed his eyes in frustration as he saw **_'Scott, Paul'_** near the bottom of the last sheet. "Paul's mad that he's gotta sit through all these appeals, _and_ he's got no way out."

"Shut it," Paul growled, turning away from the board. Gary's grin widened and he looked at the papers, searching for his own name.

"Now where am I...oh, right here!" he said in a celebratory voice as he located _**'Oak, Gary'**_ on the list. "Middle of the second day, not bad. Gives me time to think about my strategy, ya know?"

"Won't help you much," Paul said quietly, causing Gary to frown and walk away. Paul followed Gary, presumably to discuss their bet from yesterday. May, Ash and Dawn started outside, where they were met by the last person they wanted to see: Drew.

"Hello May, Hikari, Ketchum," Drew said smoothly, though he inserted considerable contempt into Ash's name. "I just got through talking to your friend Paul, Dawn. I'm surprised you wish to be together with someone that short-tempered." He smirked as he saw Dawn blush once again at the mention of Paul's name.

"So he's got a short fuse, so what?" Dawn countered, irked that Drew was putting down her friends. "Why do you have to make things worse for him?"

"Oh, he did that himself," Drew sneered, showing a recently-stopped nosebleed. "I make one remark about you, and he opens fire. You'd think he'd tell you the truth, don't you think?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dawn squeaked, but Drew simply smirked and left the trio behind, the blunette trying to work out what he had meant.

**So I figured I'd cut the chapter off here, 'cause I thought the Paul-Drew altercation was enough action for one chapter. So what'd Drew mean by "tell Dawn the truth?" Will Ash ever manage to keep his composure long enough to ask May out? All will be revealed, readers...eventually.**

** Alright then, enough ranting, please R&R and give me an opinion. Remember, the secondary pairing's still up in the air, and I want to know which one to use before I get to Chapter 9, where the winner will be revealed. So please, REVIEW! Hits are nice, but reviews are an author's best friend.**


	8. If at First You Don't Succeed

** Here's the (hopefully) much-anticipated eighth chapter of Figure It Out. Many thanks to my reviewers, who have made this my most-reviewed story yet.**

** A quick glance at the Paul/Gary scorecard shows that CavalierShipping is ahead 8 votes to 5. The winner will probably be revealed in the next chapter, so keep the votes coming!**

* * *

**FIGURE IT OUT  
**

**CHAPTER 8: IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED...**

* * *

"Go, Scizor!"

"Honchkrow, stand by!"

Yet again, the gang found themselves in Ash's yard, hanging out and preparing for the contest. Right now, Gary and Paul were having a practice battle, and Ash was standing next to May, watching his two rivals fight it out. He was leaning back against the fence, his arms spread wide, looking at the large Dark-type crow as it battled the armored Bug-type. His left arm was very close to May, and Dawn smiled as she thought of a wonderfully mischievous idea. She hopped the fence as Paul ordered the first attack, and snuck up behind Ash. May noticed this and looked at the blunette, puzzled.

"Dawn, what're you...?" May hissed, but Dawn put a finger to her lips and giggled silently. May rolled her eyes and turned back to the battle. Dawn merely shrugged and moved closer to the pair, ducking back under the fence and motioning May to move a bit closer to Ash. May did so, and Dawn reached over and moved Ash's arm just enough so that it fell over May's shoulders. Ash, for his part, was too engaged in watching Gary and Paul battle that he didn't notice; May, on the other hand, smiled weakly and turned an even darker red than usual.

"That's so cute!" Dawn squealed, running out towards them with a camera in hand. Before either Ash or May could protest, she had snapped several photos in quick succession, capturing the moment. After five or so, May ducked out from under Ash's arm and ran over to Dawn, seemingly very annoyed.

"Dawn, what're you doing?" May asked her, an irritated tone in her voice. Unseen to Ash, though, she mouthed _thanks_ to the blunette, who grinned. "Why'd ya have to go and do that? It's not nice to force people into awkward situations, you know."

"Because she can't resist setting people up, that's why," said a low, growling voice, and the girls turned to see Paul standing a few yards away, scowling. He had recalled Honchkrow, criticizing its slow reaction time. Gary walked over, too, and frowned.

"Paul, what're you on about?" Gary asked, cocking an eyebrow. Paul shook his head and turned away, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jacket. "What's with him all of a sudden?"

"No idea," May said, looking at the boy's retreating back. "You didn't beat him, did you? You know how he hates losing."

"Nope, he beat me, but he's upset that Honchkrow didn't react quickly enough to Scizor's Steel Wing and got hit. It sounds to me as if he's planning on using Honchkrow in the contest, which would explain why he's been focusing on speed and skill lately. I'll be using Scizor in the contest, just so everyone knows!" Gary finished, gesturing towards his Pincer Pokemon, who simply crossed its arms and closed its eyes.

"Well, Honchkrow's moves do give quite a spectacle," Ash noted bitterly, remembering the Big Boss Pokemon's humiliation of his Grotle several years back. He looked at the sky and noticed snowflakes falling from the sky. "Hey, you guys, it's starting to snow. You want to come inside and warm up?"

"Actually, Ash, I've gotta get home," Dawn said, sharing a meaningful look with Gary. "My mom's going to be worried about where I am, and I don't want to scare her."

"Oh, alright," Ash said, frowning in confusion. "How about you, Gary?"

"No can do, Ash," Gary told him, shaking his head. "Gramps wants me to help him with some research project for the annual Professors' Convention next month, so I'm out as well. Sorry, man, that's just the way things are."

"Okay," Ash said, his voice dropping. "May? What about you?" he asked the brunette in an almost desperate tone.

"Of course, Ash," May affirmed, smiling at him. "You'll need company on a cold evening like this."

"Alrighty, then. See you two tomorrow!" Gary called as he walked towards the gate. Dawn also gave them a wave before starting off. Ash and May waved back, then rushed for the door, each trying to outrun the other.

* * *

A few minutes later, the pair were sitting on the couch in Ash's living room, Pikachu between them. They both stared in opposite directions, Ash looking out the window while May stared at the wall. Finally, May decided to break the slightly awkward silence.

"Sooo...who's going to be your appeal Pokemon in the contest, Ash?"

"I think I'm gonna use this little guy right here," Ash told her, motioning towards Pikachu. Pikachu jumped up and nodded, then leaped into May's lap and fell asleep.

"So you're gonna use Pikachu, huh?" May said absently, stroking the small Electric-type's fur. "I think I'll use Wartortle, since she's got the best opening act of all my Pokemon. I'll save Glaceon and the others for the battle rounds."

"Sounds like a plan," Ash said, smiling weakly. "You can be sure Drew'll be trying to beat you, May. Are you sure you can beat him if you two meet in the contest."

"Yeah, I will. Drew'll lose focus because he's too annoyed that I've rejected him so many times. He'll pull a Harley and lose because he can't concentrate on the task at hand."

"Hmm, 'pull a Harley'? That's the first time you've ever used that term, May? It's clever, I'll tell you that much."

"Really? It doesn't seem that clever, just something I said to be saying something, ya know?"

"I guess so." Unbeknowst to either of them, they'd moved closer together, only feet from each other. "So, um, May, who do you think is going to ask Dawn to that ball thing?"

"I don't know, Ash. What I'd really like to know is who's going to ask _me_ to that 'ball thing' and succeed." She frowned when Ash didn't pick up on her hint. "Come on, Ash, I can't keep rejecting Drew forever. If you want to ask me, without anyone else around, now's your chance."

"What? I didn't say...I mean, I wanted to...I...argh!" Ash shouted, putting his head in his hands, trying to clear his head. "What I mean to say is, I do want you to go with me, but I can't muster the nerve to do it."

"Well, you can do it right now, Ash. There's no-one to judge you, so you could mess up and try again without embarrasing yourself. Come on," she said in an almost pleading voice as Ash looked at her skeptically. "It's just a few words, Ash. Ask me and get it over with."

"Fine," Ash grunted, shaking his head to clear it. "Okay, here goes...again. May," he said, his voice starting to fade. "!" he shouted, running the words together. He went bright red and hid his face again, angry with himself for freezing it up again.

"Um, Ash? Sorry, but I didn't catch that." May looked at him with concern, and Pikachu woke up and gave his trainer a concerned look as well.

"Aagh! See, I can't do it!" Ash cried, throwing his arms up in the air in frustration. "Every time. _Every time!_ It's so frustrating!"

"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked, jumping to the floor to look at Ash. "Pi pikachu chu pikapika pika chu, pikapi?"

"No, it's not that, Pikachu. It's just that, I love May...I-I mean I love the fact that she's here. Yeah, that's it!" he said, as Pikachu leaped back onto the couch, an unconvinced look on his face.

"What was that, Ash? D-did you s-say that you...l-love me?" May asked him, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"Um, no I didn't?" Ash couldn't hide it anymore. "Fine, I'll admit it; I love you, May, and I want you to go with me to the Winter Ball after the contest. I've wanted to ask you before, but I just couldn't. I was so afraid you'd say no that I didn't think I could do it."

"Well, here's an answer for you," May whispered, and gave Ash a quick peck on the cheek. "Yes, Ash Ketchum, I will go with you to the Winter Ball. Truth be told, I love you as well."  
"Really?" Ash asked her, a curious look on his face. May nodded and smiled, her sapphire eyes shining. "Wow, that's...that's cool news."

"Yeah, it is," May told him, and pulled him into a hug, refusing to let him go, now that they'd both confessed their feelings. Now that this was out of the way, they could concentrate on bigger things.

**So...yeah, a bit rushed, but what can ya do? I thought this would be a good chapter to have Ash finally ask May out without choking or humiliating himself, so I did. Authors are funny like that, I suppose.**

** Anyways, please keep reading and REVIEW! Criticism builds character, as the saying goes. Also, keep voting on the final Dawn pairing, either through a review or via the poll on my profile...or both. This is my last post of 2009, so here's hoping your New Year is as good as I plan to make mine. SJShark23 out.**


	9. You're Kidding!

**Alright then, here's Chapter 9.**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**FIGURE IT OUT  
**

**CHAPTER 9: YOU'RE KIDDING!**

* * *

"He asked you? And you said yes! Finally!" Dawn's voice was so high-pitched that May could barely hear her over the phone. May sighed as her friend squealed in excitement; sometimes, she wished her friends could be a little...quieter.

"Yeah, he asked me about an hour ago. He almost fell apart again, but he managed to get it out."

"So? What did you do? Tell me, tell me, tell me!" Dawn squeaked, sounding like an overexcited five-year-old. "Come on, I want to hear the whole story!"

"There isn't much to tell, to be honest. He started to ask me, froze up, said he loved me..."

"Wait. He said he loved you? That's so awesome!" After this statement, Dawn screamed and could barely be heard for a few seconds. "So, then what?"

"Then he asked me, and I told him I'd go with him, and I kissed him on the cheek to seal it." May blushed slightly at this admission, grateful that no-one could see. Dawn, for her part, fell silent.

"Are you sure you said that right? I thought for a second that you said you just kissed him on the cheek."

"I did. It seemed..."

"May!" Dawn said in a whiny voice. "Come on, only on the cheek? That's only for little kids! You guys are _seniors in high school_, and all you can do is kiss him on the cheek?"

"Hey, it seemed right at the time. Our relationship is still...well, kinda tentative. I've still got to hold off Drew, and Ash...well, he may have finally worked up the nerve to ask me to the Ball, but he's still as dense as a rock! It seemed appropriate to take it slow!"

"Alright, alright, fine. Just make sure that the next time you kiss him, it's for real, none of this awkward stuff!"

"_Awkward_? That's..." May thought for a moment. Dawn was right. This _was_ awkward, for sure. She needed to make sure that nothing happened to wreck everything. "That's exactly what this is, Dawn. Awkward. I hope this doesn't blow up in our faces."

"It won't. We'll talk more tomorrow, May, my mom's calling me." With that, Dawn hung up, leaving a very embarrassed May on the other end.

* * *

"So, how'd your little _alone time_ go last night, Ashy-boy?" Gary asked Ash in a taunting voice the next day. Ash took a swing at his old rival, annoyed that Gary would use the term in that sense.

"Will you give it a rest? It was...alright. I finally managed to ask May to that ball thing, I don't know what I would've done if I hadn't done it then..."

"Wait, back up. _You finally asked May out?_ At last, he manages to ask a girl out without screwing up! Ha!" Gary dropped to a knee, laughing triumphantly. When he finally stopped, he turned to Paul, who had closed his eyes in disdain. "So, Paul, I guess that leaves the first shot at Dawn up to you."

"Or not," Paul answered, his eyes still shut. "Look, Gary, just ask Dawn already. It's not like you haven't made it obvious that you want her to go with you, so just ask her."

"I...I don't believe this!" Gary spluttered, looking at Paul incredulously. "Paul Scott, knowing he's won, concedes the prize to his opponent? What got into you?"

"I'm probably not going to go to that ball thing anyway," Paul growled, a frown on his hard face. "Trust me, it's a waste of everybody's time. Just ask Dawn and get it over with, will you? You're worse than him," he added, motioning towards Ash, who was staring at May, who'd just come into view. "And he was nearly sick when he went to ask May."

"Suit yourself," Gary said, holding up his hands in submission, and walked over to May and Dawn, followed by Ash. When they reached the girls, Dawn gave May a meaningful look, and turned to Ash.

"So Ash, I heard you finally managed to ask our friend May out last night. How'd you do it without slipping up?" She giggled and turned back to her friend. May gave her a look that would have fried lead, but Dawn didn't let it bother her. She noticed Gary and smiled. "Hey, Gary, what's new?"

"Not much, just helping Gramps back at the lab and whatnot. Actually," he said, looking around furtively, "can you come over here a second? I need to ask you something important."

"O-okay," Dawn stammered, and May smiled knowingly. She knew what this _something_ was. As the pair left, she turned to Ash.

"So, have you decided who to use in the contest? Besides Pikachu, I mean." Her voice was full of nervousness, and she wished it wasn't. She _was_, after all, unofficially going out with Ash.

"Yeah, I figure Swellow'd love to try his hand—well, wing—at contests, and Corphish has a great-looking BubbleBeam, so they're definites. Unless, of course, I don't make it past the appeals round, in which case no-one's going to battle."

"Don't talk like that. You'll definitely make it through. Remember when I thought I couldn't make it, and you always told me to stick with it and keep pushing? Now it's time for you to practice what you preach."

"Thanks, May. I needed that, 'cause my confidence has been down lately."

"No problem, Ash." At that moment, Dawn came running over, suppressing the urge to scream. "Uh, Dawn, what's with you? Did Gary insult your hair again?"

"No, that's not it! Gary Oak just asked me to the Winter Ball!" May's mouth dropped open at this, and Ash cocked an eyebrow skeptically.

"Really? What'd you say?" Ash, of course, didn't realize what this reaction entailed, and Dawn looked insulted.

"Yes, of course! What else do you say to a guy like that? Although, I really would've liked to go with Paul..."

"_You considered Paul?_" Ash couldn't believe that Dawn would want to go with someone as cold and angry as his old rival. "Well, he does have a very...traditional way of looking at such things, meaning that he doesn't like it when a girl asks him out. I guess he gets it from Reggie..."

"It doesn't matter who he gets it from, or how he looks at it! Now he doesn't have anyone to go with...not if I can help it!" Dawn ran over to Paul and dragged him over to the group. "Wait here, I'll be right back!" With that, she ran off towards the gym, and Paul looked at Gary with annoyance.

"Did you have anything to do with this random display of perkiness?" Gary shook his head, since he was just as confused as Paul was. "Well, I don't have time for this, and...oh, it's you." Dawn had returned, and with her stood a girl with fiery red hair and wearing an orange vest over a purple shirt: Zoey.

"Um, Paul...I noticed you don't have anyone to bring to the Winter Ball, so...will you go with Zoey. I know you two don't like each other much, but it beats not going at all."

"Fine!" Zoey hissed, glaring at Paul. Paul said nothing, and turned to walk away. "We'll talk later, Dawn," the coordinator said with a half-smile, and jogged back towards the gym.

"Okay, glad that's over," Dawn said with a sigh. "So, why don't we get to class? I'm sure Professor Oak has some really great poems to tell us!" She ran towards Oak's classroom, and the rest of the gang followed her, still a bit taken aback by the recent events.

* * *

As they neared the room, someone stepped out of the door and was promptly knocked over.

"Can't you watch where you're going?" At the sound of the person's voice, Ash and May both cringed. Of all the people they hoped to avoid, they had to run into Drew. "Oh, it's you five. Hello, May, you look lovely this morning."

"Oh, cut the crap, Drew. Haven't you learned that smooth talk doesn't work on me. You never had a chance with me, so dispense with the pleasantries."

"May, I had no idea you had such a...colorful vocabulary. I am shocked. Incidentally, have you at all..."

"NO!" May was now so worked up that she could barely speak. "No, I will not go with you! For your information, I'll be going to the Winter Ball with Ash!" At this, she clapped her hands over her mouth and went redder than her bandanna. Ash, for his part, just tried to look inconspicuous.

"_What?_" Now Drew was the indignant one. "You're going with _him_? I...I don't believe it! You're going with the densest Pokemon trainer in this school? The one who can't even get his rat to stay in a Poke Ball?"

"Leave Pikachu out of this, Stanton!" Now Ash was riled up. "And yeah, I'm taking May to the Winter Ball! So back down, and find another girl to stalk!" Drew thought about this for a moment. After a few seconds, he sighed and hung his head.

"Very well. A warrior knows when he has been bested. I will trouble you no further. The best to both of you." With that, he walked away, his bowed head concealing a vicious sneer.

**Alrighty then, Drew now knows that Ash and May will be attending the Winter Ball together. How he deals with it...only I know right now.**

** A couple of notes, mostly apologetic in nature. First up, I apologize to all you IkariShippers out there, but in the end, the readers have spoken and I will be continuing the CavalierShipping plotline from here on out. Next, I must apologize to anyone who hates the idea of Paul and Zoey being together, but I couldn't think of anyone else. Finally, to all you fans of Drew, I apologize for the way I've portrayed him, but I'm really just shooting from the hip on most of this. Also, if most of the events seem rushed in this story, I'm sorry, but that's just the way my mind works.**

** Okay, enough ranting, please read and maybe (just maybe) you can leave a review on your way out. Trust me, they make me want to write more.**


	10. A Dressy Affair

**So...here's Chapter 10.**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**FIGURE IT OUT  
**

**CHAPTER 10: A DRESSY AFFAIR**

* * *

The next few days passed quickly. Dawn dragged everyone over to Cerulean's shopping mall on the Friday before the contest, spending endless hours looking at dresses and accessories. For May, it was alright, since she needed an outfit for the contest and the Winter Ball as well, but Ash, Gary and Paul it was torture. It was outside one such shop that Paul finally lost patience.

"Alright, if all they're going to do is gape at dresses, I'm getting the hell out of here." he growled as Dawn started squealing about how cute she was going to look at the contest. "I could be catching up on some battle training in the time I've been wasting here!"

"C'mon, Paul, don't be a killjoy," Gary said, grinning. "You know you find Dawn really cute in those dresses."

"Yeah, but aren't _you_ technically going out with her now? It doesn't matter what I think of them, it's your opinion that matters."

"Well, yeah, but hey, ya never know, man. She could use a third opinion. What do you think, Ashy-boy? Don't you...ah, I get it," Gary said with a knowing smirk as Ash shot him a withering look. "You're too fixated on how May looks, aren't you?" At this, May emerged from a dressing room, wearing a shimmering aquamarine dress. As Ash gave her a wide-eyed stare, Gary snickered audibly. "Yep, I knew it. Ash is hooked on her appearance right now."

"Would you shut it, Gary?" Ash growled, as May started towards them. She smiled as she looked at Ash's fascinated stare, and giggled when he shook his head to clear it.

"So what d'you think of this one, Ash?" she asked him, as Ash tried to regain his composure. "It looks pretty good, doesn't it?"

"I'll say," said a high-pitched voice that wasn't Ash's, and he wheeled around to face the speaker. Her fiery orange hair was tied into a ponytail on the side, and she had a wide grin on her face. "Hey, guys, long time no see."

"Pikachu-pi!" Pikachu cheered loudly and leaped onto the girl's shoulder.

"Misty?" Ash and May said together, surprised at the Cerulean Sister's unexpected appearance.

"Yeah, it's me," Misty said, smiling widely. "Tracey and I figured we'd come back here during winter break to see everyone and watch that contest you guys are entering. Tracey's still at the Gym, doing some sketches of the new Pokemon my sisters brought in. I take it," she added, indicating May's attire, "that you guys are picking out outfits for the contest?"

"Yep, I'm still searching for one. Although, I'm pretty sure this one's the right one, since Ash is so taken with it." May giggled as Ash blushed a deep crimson and walked over to a bench to try and collect his thoughts. "Sorry about him, he's in a bit of an emotional lockdown right now."

"I figured that," Misty smiled, looking at the love-stricken boy. "He never could hide his feelings, whether it was during a battle or when we were at a party or something. So, who else is entering the contest besides you and Ash?"

"Well, Dawn and Gary are entering, and so's Paul." Misty raised an eyebrow at this, since she never thought Paul would ever enter a contest. "Yeah, I know, right? He'd never have entered if Dawn hadn't pestered him to. And that womanizer Drew Stanton is entering as well, so I'll have to work extra hard to beat him."

"I see. So, who's everyone going to the Winter Ball with?" Misty asked with a mischievous grin, watching May blush furiously as she remembered the prolonged wait for Ash to ask her. "Oh, I see, the reason Ash is so rattled is because he's taking you, isn't it?"

"Yeah," May answered, deciding that it was better to be honest with Misty. "He asked me a few days ago, even though he made a few other...well, to put it mildly, botched, attempts."

"Typical Ash," Misty giggled, as she looked over at Ash, who was now sitting with his head in his hands, thinking. "Of course, Tracey was the same way when he asked me. So who's taking Dawn, if I may be so bold to ask?"

"Oh, um, Gary's taking her. He asked her the day after Ash asked me. And since Paul had no-one to go with after Gary asked Dawn, Dawn convinced her friend Zoey to go with him. I can only imagine what'll happen with those two, seeing as they can't stand the sight of one another."

"Kinda like me and Ash when we were younger," Misty said with a smile. "Of course, it was never really meant to be, the two of us. Believe me, he's lucky to have a girl like you."

"Thanks, Misty," May said, smiling as well. "Well, I think this dress'll do it, so I'm gonna go change and buy this one."

"Sounds like a plan," Misty answered, and walked over to Ash as May ran off. "Hey, Ash, long time, no speak."

"Wha? Oh, hey, Mist," Ash replied, sighing as Pikachu jumped off Misty's shoulder onto his. "What's the deal?"

"Oh, nothing much, just visiting and such. So, what's this I'm hearing about you taking May to the Winter Ball?"

"What? Whatever gave you that idea?" Ash hissed, looking around wildly. Misty giggled and told him about her earlier conversation with May. "Oh, yeah, I asked her a few days ago. Took me long enough, I suppose." He sighed again, looking down at Pikachu. "I can't help thinking that I'm not good enough for her, ya know? I mean, she's good-looking and popular, and I'm neither. She seems...out of my league."

"Don't talk like that!" Misty reprimanded him, shoving him playfully. "You know the old saying, the pretty girls are attracted to the average guys, and that's exactly what's happened here. She fell for you, and from what I'm hearing, you fell for her. So don't put yourself down, and go make something happen!"

"Ya know what, I will," Ash said, grinning as he stood up. As he approached the rest of the group, he noticed that Paul was gone. "Hey, where's Paul?" he asked Gary, who mumbled something about Paul leaving to take care of business. Ash shrugged and looked at May, who had changed back into her familiar red shirt and navy biker shorts. "So, where to next?"

"No clue," May answered, looking back. "If Dawn doesn't find an outfit she likes and get out here soon, we'll just leave her behind."

"I heard that!" Dawn's indignant voice shouted from inside the shop. May giggled slightly and looked around. "Ya wanna get out of here, guys? I really want to get some food, this shopping business makes me hungry."

"I second that," Ash grinned, as he looked to the others. "What about you guys?"

"I think I'll wait for Dawn," Gary told him, smirking. "You guys go ahead, we'll catch up later."

"And I've gotta get back to the Gym, my sisters need help preparing for their next show." Misty said with an apologetic smile. "I might come watch the contest, so I guess I'll see ya then!"

"Fine," Ash said, and looked at May as his stomach let out a huge growl. "We'd better go find someplace to eat fast."

* * *

After they finally found a place to eat and gorged themselves, May and Ash started home. They flew over to Viridian on Ash's Staraptor, and then walked through the darkening woods the rest of the way. As Pallet Town came into view, they talked about which Pokemon they planned on using in the contest and who they thought their friends would use. Eventually, they reached the Maples' home, and May turned to face Ash as she reached the bottom step of the porch.

"I guess I'll see you around, Ash," she said, smiling weakly. As she turned, Ash spun her around and pulled her into a kiss. May stiffened at first, then relaxed as she put her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. The moment lasted about a minute, and might've lasted longer had it not been for an ignorant fourteen-year-old opening the door.

"Oh, there ya are, May, I was wonderin'...oh," Max Maple's eyes widened as he looked at the scene before him. Ash and May broke apart and looked at Max, the former sheepishly, the latter with fire in her eyes.

"You had to go and mess that up, didn't you, you pest!" May shouted, and Max ran off before his sister could jump him. Giving Ash an apologetic look, May raced after her brother, slamming the door.

Ash for his part, was stunned, partly because of Max's interference, but mostly because of the impetuousness he'd shown. _I know we said it before, but I don't know if she really does like me like that! Why am I so impulsive? Maybe...I'm more in love with May than I'm letting on._

**So...yeah, again, seems rushed. Misty makes a surprise appearance, and Ash pulls a maneuver he probably wouldn't under normal circumstances. So what's next for these two? You'll have to keep reading to find out.**

** Again, please read and (hopefully) drop me a review. Believe me, your opinion is important, since it marks the difference between a good story and a lousy one.**


	11. First Day of Appeals 1 of 2

** Alright, no prelude needed, here's Chapter 11 of Figure It Out.**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**FIGURE IT OUT  
**

**CHAPTER 11: FIRST DAY OF APPEALS (1-2)**

* * *

"Welcome, everyone, to the annual Viridian High School Pokemon Contest!" Lilian Meridian's voice blared through the speakers around the small lake outside Viridian City. The day was bright and cold, and the spectators had all worn their warmest clothes to stave off the cold. The Pokemon League gatehouse had been rigged as a temporary staging area, and the competitors waited impatiently for the contest to start.

"I wish they could just hurry this up," Ash said quietly, staring out the window. "They put us through this pomp and circumstance every year."

"Oh, cheer up, Ash," Gary said, shoving his friend lightly. Since he didn't have to appeal today, Gary wore his usual black shirt and dark jeans, which constrasted sharply with Ash's tuxedo and fedora. "You get to see May all dressed up, and then you two can hang out together...OUCH!" he yelled as Ash slapped him across the back of the head. "Jeez, I make one comment and you go off on me. You're worse than Paul."

"Stop bringing that up, will ya?" Ash hissed, looking around wildly. "It's not exactly common knowledge that we're together...sorta...and I don't want it to become so. It's all May can do to stop Dawn from gossiping about it, so don't you start too."

"Alright, I won't bring it up too much, then. Researcher's honor." Gary agreed, holding up his hand to indicate it. "Speaking of those two, where'd they go? It's not like them to disappear like this."

"My guess is they went to finish doing each other's hair or something. You know how Dawn is about her hair," Ash replied, shaking his head. "But if they don't get out here soon, they'll miss their appeals. They tend to go fast."

"And that's how you'll go out of this contest, Ketchum. Fast." Drew had walked over while Ash was musing. His white tuxedo was the same basic style as Ash's, but without the hat. "So, I see you tried to clean up your appearance and try to impress Miss Maple, Ketchum. I suppose you think changing your appearance will cause you to change your style? Not likely, I should think."

"Cut the crap, Stanton," Ash growled, glaring at the arrogant coordinator. "She doesn't care how I look or battle, as long as I stay her friend. I don't feel the need to put her down every five minutes, then throw her a rose and think that makes it alright."

"Ah, how shall I put this...oh, yes. I don't intend to make anything alright, Ketchum. You've stolen my princess, and now I shall fight back. An offer you cannot possibly refuse. Up for it?"

"Forget it, Stanton," Ash snarled, as Pikachu looked at him with concern. "I'm not interested in one of your wagers, so no. May'll be with who she wants to be with, and that's me!"

"Oh, please, _you_? You use a split medal to symbolize yours and May's so-called _love_. I toss her roses because that is how to signify true love! Something you'll never understand!"

"Roses will wither and die, Stanton," Ash said, staring seriously at Drew. "But a medal lasts forever. Just like her crush on you died years ago, and hers on me lasted, from the first day I met her. Face it, Stanton. You've lost." Drew stared at Ash with barely controlled rage, and exhaled slowly.

"Very well, Ketchum. You can have your day in the sun, but never forget which of us May's heart belongs to." With that, Drew turned and walked away to prepare for his appeal, and Ash glared after him.

"I hope May humiliates him," he growled, as the crowd roared, signalling the start of the appeals.

* * *

"And so Tori Richardson finishes her appeal with gusto!" Lilian's voice cried through the speakers, and the crowd cheered again. "And now, we have one of our perennial contenders! He's finished second in the past two Contests, and plans on winning this, his final one here! Please welcome our next contestant, Drew Stanton!" The green-haired boy flicked his hair once before throwing out a Poke Ball.

"Roserade, let's go!" The green Bouquet Pokemon emerged, waving its arms. "Now, Petal Dance!" Roserade fired a storm of pink flower petals into the air, which contrasted with the gray winter sky. Drew then commanded Roserade to use Stun Spore, and the yellow powder mixed with the petals, creating a beautiful spectacle. "Let's finish up, Roserade! Use SolarBeam!" Roserade fired a blue-white beam of energy into the pinkish-yellow cloud, blowing tiny fragments into the crowd, prompting widespread applause. Roserade and Drew bowed, and waited for the judges' opinions.

"Excellent fusion of Stun Spore and Petal Dance, topped off by a magnificent SolarBeam!" Mr. Contesta announced.

"Yes, remarkable!" came the critique from Mr. Sukizo.

"It was the trust between Drew and Roserade that made this wonderful appeal possible!" said Nurse Joy, and with that Drew walked back to the staging area on his way to the stands. May was standing by the entrance, and Drew smirked.

"Top that, May," he sneered as he passed her, to which May simply frowned in annoyance. It was only the appeals round, after all, and she couldn't let him get to her. She sighed, and adjusted her dress. It was the same aquamarine one she'd found a few days ago, and she figured it was the best she could do.

"And now, a two-time winner of this contest! Please welcome the Princess of Hoenn, May Maple!" May heard this and walked out to the stage, smiling nervously. She looked into the crowd to see her parents and Max watching, as well as Misty, Tracey, Paul, and a purple-haired man she'd never seen before. Shaking her head, she pulled out a Poke Ball and tossed it into the air.

"Alright, Wartortle, time to take the stage!" A blue turtle with a long, curled tail emerged, and landed on its front legs, doing a perfect handstand. "Use Aqua Tail!" Wartortle sent streams of water from its tail which, curiously enough, formed a heart shape. May ordered Ice Beam, which froze the watery heart in midair, to the delight of the crowd. "Finish with Rapid Spin!" Wartortle withdrew into its shell and charged through the centre of the heart, before spinning to earth and landing on all fours. May smiled broadly as the final trick was met with even more thunderous applause than Drew's, and waited for the judges' thoughts.

"A fine display of creativity and power, made possible by a wonderful combination of moves."

"I agree, it was remarkable!"

"Wartortle captures the spirit of the Valentine season with that magnificent heart!" After hearing the judges' opinions, May recalled Wartortle and ran back the the gatehouse, as Dawn got ready for her appeal. May gave the blunette a quick high five as she passed, and ran right for where Ash was standing, watching the proceedings on the monitor.

"So, what'd you think?" May asked, grinning at the stunned boy. "Oh, come on, it wasn't that bad, was it?" she asked him in mock disappointment, pursing her lips.

"N-no, May," Ash stammered, still trying to regain his composure. "It was probably the best appeal I've ever seen, to tell the truth." As they watched, Dawn appeared on the monitor, preparing for her own appeal. "Why don't we see how Dawn does?" May agreed, and they looked up to the screen.

**Alright, so part 1 of the Contest appeals is history. I'll admit, I'm not too thrilled about it, since I'm better at writing battles than contests, so please bear with me. As always, continue to read, review and follow this story!**

** A/N: before anyone asks, Ash's outfit is the same one he wore in the Wallace Cup arc.**


	12. First Day of Appeals 2 of 2

** OK, all overtures aside...on with Chapter 12!**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

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**FIGURE IT OUT  
**

**CHAPTER 12: FIRST DAY OF APPEAL (2-2)**

* * *

"OK, Pachirisu, spotlight!" Dawn shouted, and a small white squirrel with a blue stripe along its tail emerged from its Poke Ball, surrounded by hearts. It landed on its tail, and jumped up and down in excitement. "Now, start off with Sweet Kiss!" Pachirisu raised its paws to its mouth, and blew a huge pink heart into the sky. When it got to about fifteen feet off the ground, Dawn ordered Pachirisu to use Discharge, which froze the heart in midair. Finally, Pachirisu was told to jump and use Super Fang, and it shattered the heart, creating tiny pink shards to fall from the sky, prompting immense applause.

"And Pachirisu finishes up with a powerful Super Fang, causing it to rain pink fragments of heart!" Lilian shouted through the speakers, and the crowd roared even louder. Dawn bowed repeatedly, then looked to the judges for their feedback.

"A fine and creative way of displaying Pachirisu's natural charm!"

"Yes, Pachirisu was remarkable!"

"Pachirisu is naturally cute, and its use of Discharge to freeze its Sweet Kiss was a very nice idea!" With the judges' opinions voiced, Dawn recalled her hyperactive Pokemon and skipped back to the waiting area, where May and Ash stood, watching with expressions of awe.

* * *

"Wow, Dawn, I had no idea you could freeze a Sweet Kiss like that," Ash said, shaking his head in amazement. "You really nailed it back there."

"Thanks, Ash!" Dawn said excitedly, looking as a trainer with a Bellsprout prepared to appeal. "So I guess you're up next, Ash. You and Pikachu ready?"

"Always," Ash said with a grin, and Pikachu squeaked in agreement. "Why don't you two head out to the stands, and we'll join you up there."

"I guess that's not such a bad idea," May said, as the Bellsprout trainer finished his appeal to a bit less applause than Dawn's appeal received. "Dawn, what do you...?" But as she tried to ask the bluenette, she was already gone, probably to leave the pair alone. Typical Dawn. "So...are you two ready?" May asked Ash, who was straightening his hat.

"Y-yeah," Ash stammered, a bit freaked out by the situation. "Why wouldn't we be?"

"Well, you've been acting so weird the past week, and I keep wondering whether you really are yourself anymore. You're so much more distant, and we never really talk properly; it's almost like you're a different Ash. What's wrong?"

"N-nothing!" Ash said defensively, and Pikachu jumped from his shoulder to look at his trainer with concern. "I-I'm just a bit nervous about this whole contest thing! I..." He faltered, then looked down at the floor, slightly dejected. "Alright, I'll come clean, May. I'm not sure if I'm good enough for you. There, I said it."

"Whatever gave you that idea?" May asked, concern entering her voice. "You're better than Drew, that's for sure," she said contemptuously as she mentioned the emerald-haired coordinator. "All he really cares about is his image. You...care more for me and your Pokemon than you do about making yourself look good. And that's good enough for me."

"Thanks, May," Ash told her, sighing in relief. He looked at the electronic message board across the room, and noticed with a slight touch of panic that he was next to appeal. "Whoa, they finished those appeals already? I'd better head out there." Before he could walk two steps, though, May had grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him to her, pressing her lips to his. Ash stiffened, then relaxed as he allowed himself to kiss her back. When they broke apart, he looked at her with a slightly confused expression, and May blushed furiously. Pikachu, for his part, simply laughed to himself.

"For luck," she told him, and hurried away to change and join the others. Ash stood there in shock, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Then Pikachu tugged on his trouser leg and pointed out towards the contest stage before jumping onto his shoulder, and Ash nodded, running out to a tremendous ovation.

* * *

"Okay, Pikachu, let's get this going!" The small electric mouse leaped off his shoulder and saluted the crowd. Ash put everything out of his mind, save for what May's expression would be after he shocked the crowd, and nodded before continuing. "Alright, buddy, just like we practiced! Iron Tail, let's go!" Pikachu jumped up and swung his tail into the ground, sending chunks of dirt flying through the air. "Now, Thunderbolt!" The tiny electric mouse's tail sparked, and he unleashed a blast of electricity through the air, breaking up the dirt and sending sparking bits of rock and mud everywhere. Quick, Pikachu, run through the dirt and use Volt Tackle!" Pikachu's body became cloaked in a harsh yellow light as he ran through the dark, sparking bits of earth, and came to a stop, throwing off the light and posing for the crowd. The crowd roared in approval, and Ash grinned at his partner. Pikachu jumped on his master's shoulder and waited for the judges' opinions.

"A 'shocking' display of Pikachu's extraordinary power, and not a shabby visual effect, either!"

"Indeed, that Volt Tackle was remarkable!"

"Pikachu's abilities gave us a nice change of pace!" With that, Ash and Pikachu hurried back to the staging area en route to the stands, where he'd find May and the others.

* * *

"That was amazing, Ash!" May said as she threw her arms around Ash's neck. Both teens blushed madly as May released Ash, and turned to the others. Norman gave Ash an approving nod, and Caroline smiled knowingly at the pair. Max, for his part, was laughing hysterically, occasionally pausing to fire off some disjointed remark. As Delia ran over to Ash to congratulate him, May walked past her parents to where Dawn, Gary and Paul sat.

"You're May, right?" the plum-haired man she didn't recognize asked, and she nodded, not knowing what to make of this sudden greeting. "I'm Reggie Scott, Paul's older brother. I came by to offer my kid brother a bit of moral support when he competes tomorrow."

"Because I really want to excel at this hyped-up beauty pageant," Paul snarled, turning away. Reggie just shrugged in a 'suit yourself' manner, and looked back at May.

"I'm impressed with your Wartortle's moves. Not many Pokemon would be able to pull off such an impressive Aqua Tail. How long have you had it?"

"Um, since I rejoined Ash in Kanto, I think," May told him, still a bit flustered. "She evolved while I was traveling through Johto, and since then she's been a regular in contests."

"You don't say. All your appeals were qite impressive, you know? I didn't expect Dawn to use Pachirisu the way she did, but then again she's full of surprises, isn't she, Paul?" Reggie grinned at his younger brother, who shook his head in frustration.

"I told you, Reggie, she's with Oak now. I'm stuck with that Zoey Jennings," Paul growled, looking contemptuously at the fiery-haired coordinator a few rows in front of them. When Reggie gave him a confused expression, May responded before Paul could fire off a comment.

"Dawn felt bad that Paul didn't have someone to take to the Winter Ball, so she convinced Zoey to go with him. And as you can see by Paul's reaction, he's none too thrilled about it."

"Well, she's good-looking, I'll give you that," Reggie said, elbowing Paul, who growled in frustration again and got up to leave. "Oh, stop it, Paul, I'm just teasing," he added, and Paul shook his head again before sitting back down. A young man with a Prinplup had just finished his appeal, and the judges were giving feedback.

"Oh, look, Kenny just finished," May said, trying to ease the tension between the brothers. Ash walked over and sat down next to her, and Dawn giggled as he put his arm around May with an awkward smile on his face. May, for her part, just blushed and leaned forward so that he could put his arm completely around her shoulders.

"You two are so cute together!" Dawn squealed, and both teens blushed again, aware that everyone could see them. Gary just smirked and shook his head knowingly, and down the row Max nearly fell out of his seat laughing again. A stern glare from Norman silenced him, though, and he satisfied himself by playing a game on his PokeNav, thoroughly bored.

"Well, I think they make a fine pair," Reggie said, and soon after Lilian Meridian stated that the first day of appeals round was over, and that the next day was to be chock full of more exquisite performances. That was the whole group's cue to get up and head out, and Ash and May took the lead out of the area, May slipping her hand into his as they left.

The first day of the Viridian High School Pokemon Contest had ended.

**Phew, glad this chapter's finally over with. Well, we had two more appeals from our main cast. Only Gary and Paul's remain now, and I might include Zoey's just for fun. Gary's confirmed using Scizor, but who will Paul use? The answers as we continue.**

** Okay, anime-style ending aside, please read, review and whatnot and give me an opinion. Believe me, it does matter. This is SJShark23 signing off.**


	13. Second Day of Appeals

**Okay, here's Chapter 13, featuring Gary, Paul and Zoey's appeals. Also, to clarify my author's note at the end of Chapter 12: Gary is NOT using Scizor for the appeals, but will at some point during the contest. Just wanted to clear that up.**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**FIGURE IT OUT  
**

**CHAPTER 13: SECOND DAY OF APPEALS**

* * *

Paul Scott was in hell, in his own opinion. He'd never intended to sign up for this contest in the first place, and now he was surrounded by what he called "vain posers". How was he coping? He was standing off to the side, not saying a thing. Gary was trying to get Paul to lighten up by teasing him about Dawn, but Paul refused to budge.

"Come on, Paul, your girl's watching!" Gary was saying, as Paul simply glared at him. He had chosen a navy suit for this round, and had managed to tame his messy brown hair. "I may be going to that big dance with her, but technically she's _your_ girl, man! Try to show some enthusiasm!"

"Because enthusiasm is what's most important," Paul said sarcastically, shaking his head. Paul had chosen to wear a simple white dress shirt and black dress pants, and had combed his hair out of his face. "I just want to get out there, make myself look as little like a fool as possible, and get out of here. Nothing you say is going to change that."

"Well, you're gonna be here for a while, so why not make the best of it? Try talking to Zoey, and figure out your plans..."

"I am not talking to her," Paul snarled, glancing contemptuously at the red-haired girl, who was sitting on a bench brushing her Glameow's fur. "She and I may be going to that dance together, but that does _not_ mean we have to interact otherwise. End of story." With that, Paul turned and walked over to a different corner, to try and find some peace. Gary shrugged and walked over to Zoey, who smiled as he approached.

"Hey, Gary," Zoey said as Glameow jumped from her lap to the floor. She was wearing her white contest suit for this round, the same style as the one she wore for the last Wallace Cup. "You all set to appeal?"

"Yep, I've got my choice Pokemon right here," Gary told her, holding up a Pokeball. "I still haven't found out which Pokemon Paul's using, but then again, you never know with him. He's a bit rattled about doing this in the first place, ya know?"

"As if I care," Zoey said, glancing at Paul, who had found a separate bench and sat down. "He acts like such a jerk to everybody; I can't believe you guys are actually friends with him. And Dawn has a crush on that jerk? I'm gonna have to talk some sense into that girl."

"Well, ya know, you two _are_ going to that dance together, so why not at least be civil to each other? He's not such a bad guy once you get to know him."

"He has a funny way of showing it," Zoey said with finality. She glanced at a monitor and jumped up in shock, recalling Glameow as she did so.. "Oh, jeez, I'm going next! Gary, I'm going to have to continue this conversation later. I have an appeal to perform, after all."

"Alright, then, I'll see ya afterwards," Gary told her, and Zoey hurried out to the main contest area.

* * *

Zoey dashed out to immense applause. She was, after all, considered the third-best female coordinator in the school behind May and Dawn, and as such had become quite popular among the students. She pulled out her specialized Pokeball and tossed it out.

"Now, Misdreavus, curtain!" The dark-colored Screech Pokemon emerged in a cloud of smoke, prompting gasps from the crowd. "Start off with Double Team!" Misdreavus created several copies of itself in the smoke, creating a sinisterly fantastic spectacle. "Now use Screech, then Confuse Ray!" The Ghost-type let out a piercing screech, then fired a purple ring into the smoke, scattering it. "Quickly, use Shock Wave on the smoke!" Misdreavus sent blue sparks into the smoke, creating small, shining particles from it. The Pokemon finished its appeal with a flip, and Zoey smiled as she waited for the judges' view.

"A prime example of the bond between Coordinator and Pokemon!"

"I agree, it was remarkable!"

"Using the smoke seal to disguise Misdreavus was truly inspired!" Zoey recalled Misdreavus and waved to the crowd before running back into the staging area.

* * *

"Man, Zoey's as strong as ever!" Dawn shouted as the appeal ended. "She's really perfected that move with Misdreavus, and they pulled it off really well!"

"What do you expect from your rival?" May asked, smiling to herself. Ash was staring at her absently, oblivious to his surroundings, and she resisted the urge to wave a hand in front of his face. "So it's just Gary and Paul we've got to wait for, huh? I wonder who they'll be using?"

"Well, I think Gary was planning on using Umbreon, but he never confirmed it," Ash said, breaking out of his semi-trance. "As for Paul, well, ya never know with him. He could use Ursaring just so he could scare the crowd and get out of there."

"Ash, don't joke like that! Paul will give us a good appeal, I know it!" Dawn shouted, prompting everyone in the area to stare at her. Dawn blushed and stared at Piplup, who was running around with Pikachu and Glaceon. Ash just shrugged and looked down at the contest stage, where a girl with a Whismur was appealing. Reggie grinned and started explaining the fundamentals of Pokemon caretaking to Max, while May simply giggled at her friend's predicament.

"Hey, guys!" Misty had arrived with Tracey in tow, and everyone waved to her. "Sorry I couldn't come yesterday, I had to watch the gym while my sisters went to hammer out a new sponsorship deal for their show. I heard you guys were really good, though!" She sat down next to May, smiling warmly, and Tracey headed over to talk with Norman and Reggie.

"Yeah, we were!" May said, smiling at the youngest Cerulean Sister. "Ash and Pikachu really nailed their appeal, and Dawn and Pachirisu performed a trick with Sweet Kiss and Discharge."

"And let me guess, you used Wartortle again?" Misty asked, and May nodded. "Well, a Water-type is always a good choice, and Wartortle really has her Aqua Tail heart down. Anyway," she said, dropping her voice, "how're things on the Ash front? Has he lost his mind yet?"

"Not yet," May said with a giggle, looking at the raven-haired teen, who had fallen into another semi-trance. "I sorta took the initiative and kissed him yesterday, and right after we talked last week, so..."

"You _kissed _him?" Misty asked with a giggle of her own, and May nodded again, blushing furiously. "Good going, May, it's about time you two started actually acting like you're together...not that you weren't before, of course. I'm assuming you kissed him both times, not the other way around?"

"Actually, he kissed me the first time, and we switched roles the second time. It was...one of those...what do you call them..."heat of the moment" things, I think. But you're right, if we're going to be together, we've got to start somewhere."

"True. I remember going through the same thing with Tracey, except that he isn't completely dense." Misty said, looking at Tracey fondly. At this, an announcement that Gary Oak was preparing to appeal blared through the PA system, so she cut off and sat back to watch the future researcher's performance.

* * *

"Alright, then, Umbreon, let's go!" Gary called, and the black rabbit-eared Moonlight Pokemon emerged. Its gold rings glowed brightly, creating a shining aura around it, and the crowd cheered at the sight. "Use Reflect, now!" Umbreon's eyes glowed pink, and a similarly-colored box appeared around it, mixing with the golden light to increase the visual effect. "Now, Double Team!" Multiple copies of Umbreon's body appeared in the air, and Gary called for Shadow Ball to knock them out. After Umbreon fired the blobs of dark energy, it used Psychic to catch them and spin them around, adding black-purple and blue light to the already shining aura around its body. With that, Gary finished the appeal, and waited once again for the judges.

"Excellent use of visual effects to keep myself and the audience riveted!"

"Remarkable, too!"

"Using all those shining lights were a nice way of showing off Umbreon's skill." After the judges had their say, Gary recalled Umbreon and ran to the staging area, where he found Paul with his eyes half-shut.

"Hey, Paul, did you see that? Pretty cool, huh? I wonder if you'll be able to top that?" Paul simply shrugged and closed his eyes again. "Jeez, no wonder Zoey can't stand you. You're no fun at all!" Gary ran off to rejoin the others, while Paul smirked, not caring one bit about anything at the moment.

After several more appeals, the second day was almost over. Only seven more competitors remained, and then the finalists would be announced. The first of those seven, Paul, slunk out to the contest stage and tossed out a Pokeball.

"Weavile, stand by!" The black feline weasel emerged, baring its teeth menacingly. "Use Swords Dance, now!" Weavile's claws extended to form purple blade-like appendages, which glowed harshly. "Now, follow up with Blizzard!" The Sharp Claw Pokemon pulled its arms inward, then swung them out, launching snowballs into the air. "Use Metal Claw on that Blizzard, quick!" Weavile's claws glowed white, and it slashed at the snowballs, forming snowflakes that fell on the scene, glittering. Weavile landed and bared its teeth again, and the judges sounded off.

"Interesting use of Weavile's various speed techniques, and the bared teeth didn't hurt one bit!"

"It was truly remarkable!"

"Despite most people seeing Weavile as unappealing because of its nature, I think this performance disproves that theory!" Paul nodded and recalled Weavile, desperate to get out of there.

"So, we've completed our appeals round!" Lilian Meridian shouted as the final competitor finished. "Now all we've got left to do is decide who advances to the next round! The judges have made their decisions, and the sixteen finalists will appear on the viewscreen!" All eyes stared at the screen, as faces began to appear. Two unknown competitors appeared, then Drew's face showed.

"Oh, wonderful," May said sarcastically. "Now Drew's going to hound me as long as I'm still in this thing!" She looked and saw her own face appear, followed by Ash's.

"Hey, look, May, we both made the battle round!" Ash said to her, grinning broadly. May smiled back and looked at the screen again, as Dawn, Kenny and Zoey's faces appeared in quick succession. Three more competitors' faces appeared, then Gary's picture showed up. The last picture to appear was Paul's prompting a grin from Reggie.

"Paul won't be happy about that," Reggie said as he looked at his brother, who had buried his face in his hands in barely concealed rage. "Come on, Paul, now you've got a chance to show off for everyone some more!"

"And that's that!" Lilian's voice called, and the crowd began to head for the exits. Ash and May once again led the group out of the stadium, to prepare for the next round.

**OK, abrupt ending, but what can ya do? Honestly, this whole concept was **_**way**_** easier in my head...anyways, I hope I conveyed the appeals better this time. I'm not really happy with the way this chapter turned out, but then, it'd be funny if I was always happy with what I write.**

** All ranting aside, please read, **_**REVIEW**_**, and tell me what ya think! Any advice/constructive criticism/etc. is greatly appreciated. SJShark23 going on station.**


	14. A Night Flight

**OK, readers, here's Chapter 14. I'm gonna take a break from the contest for now, to try and kindle some of that shippyness this story seems to be lacking.**

** Yes, I know, the romantic moments so far have been, well, third-rate; hell, I even changed the rating to K+ since the content didn't fit the rating. Hopefully it'll improve...anyway, onward, comrades!**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**FIGURE IT OUT  
**

**CHAPTER 14: A NIGHT FLIGHT**

* * *

Dawn had signed everyone up to help prepare the Pewter Gym for the Winter Ball after the contest, and the gang was now helping the Slate family move the rocks and boulders out of the main battle arena to make room for the decorations. Paul and Gary were dragging a particularly large stone column with the help of Brock's old Steelix, and Dawn was trying to decide where all the different decorations should go. Ash and May, for their part, were sitting away from the proceedings, having exhausted themselves moving one of the larger boulders. The pair were pointedly looking anywhere but at each other, and the silence was rather deafening between them.

"So..." May finally said, breaking the tension. "Who's gonna enter the first battle round tomorrow?"

"Um, I'm thinkin' Corphish and Swellow," Ash told her, rather nervous for no reason at all. "What about you?"

"I think Beautifly and Munchlax are going to enter the first battle, then I'll mix and match my other Pokemon depending on who I face in the next rounds."

"You think you can make it by the first battle round? What if you run into Drew?"

"Then I'll sweep him aside and show him once and for all who the better coordinator is. It's about time he got taken down a peg."

"I hear ya." Ash was now staring at the floor, wishing he hadn't let Dawn talk him into this. May sensed his discomfort and smiled slightly, wanting somehow to break the awkwardness between them.

"Hey Ash?"

"Yeah?"

"Um...could you...maybe, ya know...do that thing you did a couple of days ago?"

"What thing?"

"You know, the one where you...reached across my shoulders for something...and then put your hand on my arm..."

"Ya mean like this?" Ash asked, puzzled, as he put his arm around May's shoulders. May smiled to herself and leaned against the boy's chest, closing her eyes as she felt his steady heartbeat, and took comfort in the sensation. Ash stiffened slightly, but relaxed as he understood the security it gave her. He tilted his head slightly, trying to kiss her hair without making an utter fool of himself, but at that very moment Dawn showed up, snapping photos of the pair and giggling madly.

"Ohmigosh, you two are so _cute_!" she squealed as the camera clicked repeatedly. May opened her eyes again and stood up, glaring at Dawn, and a red-faced Ash muttered something about giving Gary and Paul a hand and slipped away, leaving the two girls to work things out.

"Dawn, why must you do that every time Ash does something like that?" May asked, annoyed at the bluenette more out of disappointment than anger. "He finally manages to act less dense, and then you show up and ruin the moment for us! Why can't you just leave us alone?"

"But...you two are so...right for each other, it's cute," Dawn muttered, dropping the camera to her side. "I'm sorry, May, I'm just such a sucker for stuff like that, ya know? I'll try not to interfere next time,"

"Please?" May asked, moving to find Ash. Instead, she found Brock, who had entered the gym to assist with the heavy lifting. "Oh hi, Brock! I haven't seen you in so long, how've you been?"

"Ah, you know, working on becoming a better breeder...trying and failing to get a date," the former Gym Leader said sheepishly as he admitted the latter statement. "Anyway, I saw how close you and Ash were just a minute ago. You two are together, aren't you?" At this, he smiled knowingly as May blushed slightly.

"What? Oh, that. Yeah, he finally asked me out about a week ago, but he's still trying to overcome his awkwardness, ya know? I've been trying to push him slightly, but we keep getting interrupted, whether it's Dawn and her camera or Drew and his...well, being Drew."

"I see. So I can expect to see you two here together next Saturday?"

"Yep, you'll see us here. Dawn's going with Gary, and Paul's going with Zoey, believe it or not."

"Let me guess, Dawn set them up?" Brock asked her with a wry grin, and May nodded in assent. "I'm surprised that Dawn's going with Gary, since I always thought she liked Paul. And I'm even more surprised that Paul's going with Zoey, of all people; I thought they hated each other. But then, nothing's ever as clean-cut as you think, is it?"

"That's for sure," May said, sighing quietly. She looked over at Dawn, who was trying to push a boulder by herself, and shook her head in exasperation. "I'll talk to you later, Brock; Dawn thinks she's Wonder Woman or something." With that, she ran off to help Dawn, and Brock headed over to where Ash was dragging the largest boulder off the battlefield.

"Hey, Ash, need a hand?" he called out, and Ash nodded vigorously, struggling to keep the gigantic rock off the floor. Gary and Paul nodded in acknowledgement as Brock helped them shove the boulder out of the way. The three teens dropped to the floor in exhaustion, and Brock wiped his brow, being slightly fatigued himself. Finally, Paul muttered something about going for a cigarette and left the gym, and Gary ran over to help Dawn sweep the smaller rocks out of the way. Ash grinned as he shook hands with Brock, and took his baseball cap off his head.

"Hey, Brocko, haven't seen you in a while!" he said, running a hand through his hair. "How's the region's top Pokemon breeder faring these days?"

"Oh, the usual. Thinking up new Pokemon food recipes, giving pointers to the novices..."

"Gotten a date yet?" Ash asked, grinning even more broadly as he remembered Brock's previous attempts at romance.

"I should ask you the same question, Ash. I've heard a rumor that you and a certain young lady named May are going out now." Brock smiled as Ash turned an even darker red than before. "Don't worry, Ash, May told me just a minute ago. I figured you'd start dating May at some point, and it looks like I was right."

"Hey, hold on, who told you we were dating?" Ash hissed, looking around wildly. "I'm not actually sure what we are right now, Brock. True, we are going to that dance together, but after that, who knows? It's too complicated for me right now, ya know? Actually, believe it or not, I've got a little surprise in store for her tonight. Just don't tell her, alright?"

"You can count on me, Ash." Brock said with a nod, and the two old friends started to shift another rock.

* * *

After finishing up at the Gym, Gary suggested that the gang go see a movie to loosen up before the contest started up again. Ash and May agreed instantly, and Dawn begged Paul to go too, but the purple-haired teen would hear none of it. The remaining four friends went to the small theatre in Viridian, and went through the usual routine, Ash and May buying twice as much popcorn as everyone else. As they sidled into the theatre, Dawn found seats for the group, and Gary turned to Ash and May and grinned.

"Now just because it's dark, don't go giving everyone a show they didn't pay for," he said with a suggestive tone in his voice. Ash shoved him lightly and took a seat close to the centre of the row, with May next to him. May blushed slightly as Ash put his arm around her, and leaned against him as the movie started. It was a typical action flick, with a lot of explosions and gunfire (courtesy of Gary, who had convinced Dawn not to choose a chick flick), and May found herself unconsciously wrapping her arms around Ash as she shrank back from the noise and flashing light. Ash noticed this and smiled weakly, putting his other arm around her as she closed her eyes to block out the visual assault. Gary noticed this and snickered, earning a glare from Ash and a light shove from Dawn. After about an hour and a half, the film ended, and the gang exited the theatre, no-one really knowing what to do next.

"So...what next?" asked May after about two minutes of just standing in silence. When no-one answered, she spoke again. "Maybe we should go grab some pizza or something before we head home? It's still a little early."

"Oh, jeez, May," Dawn said in mock exasperation. "The way you and Ash eat, there won't be anything left for the rest of us. Even so, I think going for pizza's a great idea. What do you two think?" she asked Gary and Ash, who were deep in serious conversation.

"Wha? Oh, yeah, pizza sounds good," Ash said, shaking his head to clear it. Gary shrugged in a "works for me" manner, and the group walked over to the small pizzeria next door to the movie theatre.

* * *

After they ate (well, Gary and Dawn ate; May and Ash practically tore their pizza apart), the group broke up and headed to their homes. Dawn headed for the Magnet Train depot on the far side of town, and Gary raced off on his old Dodrio, while Ash and May opted to hang back for a bit longer before starting home. Ash looked at May, who was shivering slightly, and removed his dark sweatshirt.

"Take this," he said as he gave it to her. "You need it more than I do."

"But won't you be cold?" she asked with concern, as he was only wearing a long-sleeved black shirt under the sweatshirt. Ash shook his head as she indicated this.

"Don't worry about me; I don't mind the cold." he said, waving his hand to emphasize his point. "Besides, it's gonna get a whole lot colder where we're going next."

"What do you mean, "going next", Ash? What've you got up your sleeve this time?" May asked him, pulling the sweatshirt over her head. Ash just smiled and looked towards the forest.

"We're going to take a little trip with an old friend of mine," he said simply, pointing to the sky above the trees. May squinted and could just make out the shape of a large bird-like Pokemon The feathers on its head were in an alternating red and yellow pattern, and its red tail feathers streamed behind it. "Say hi to Pidgeot, May," Ash told her, grinning as the Flying-type landed. May walked up to it and placed her hand on its beak, smiling as well.

"Wow, Ash, you never told me you had a Pidgeot," May said, stroking Pidgeot's feathers.

"Yeah, I caught it as a Pidgeotto when I was just startin' out, and then after it evolved I left it here to watch over the local Pidgey flock. I went to the Viridian Forest last night and told it to meet us over here, and now he's gonna take us for a flight. Ya ready, Pidgeot?" The Flying-type nodded in agreement, and Ash jumped on its back, holding out his hand for May to join him. "C'mon, May, don't be afraid. I'll be right here with you." May blushed as she took his hand and got onto Pidgeot's back as well. Pidgeot looked back once to check that its riders were ready, and then flapped its powerful wings as it prepared to take to the sky.

"Um, Ash?" May said nervously as she felt Pidgeot's wingbeats. "This really sounded like a great idea when I was on the ground, but now I'm starting to have second _THOUGHTS_!" She finished her sentence with a squeak of terror as Pidgeot took off, and she threw her arms around Ash's waist to steady herself. Ash smiled and turned slightly as she buried her head in his shoulder.

"Hey, Pidgeot, slow up a bit," he said, and as Pidgeot obeyed, he tapped May on the shoulder. "Hey, May, why don't you check this out?" May lifted her head and looked out at the illuminated city, glittering in the darkness.

"Oh, wow, it's so beautiful!" she said breathlessly as she took in the sight. "I never realized how amazing a city looked from the air at night! It's just so...I'll say it again. It's beautiful."

"Just like you, May," Ash told her, then blushed furiously as he realized what he'd just said. May blushed as well and moved towards him.

"This is _the_ perfect end to a perfect evening, Ash. Thank you so much. You too, Pidgeot," she said to the bird, who nodded in thanks. "And here's _my_ perfect end," she added, pulling Ash towards her and kissing him. Ash put his arms around her and kissed her back, pouring all his love for her into this one moment. After about a minute, they broke apart, and Ash smiled at her.

"Still having second thoughts, May?" he asked teasingly, as Pidgeot began to fly back to Pallet Town.

"Not any more."

_**PHEW! **_**Chapter 14's **_**finally **_**done! That was a marathon, let me tell you. I'm pretty happy with how this one turned out, and I hope the romance in this chapter was better than the other stuff I've written. So now all I've gotta do is decide who faces whom in the Contest, and I'll be set...or not.**

** That all being said, please read, **_**REVIEW**_**, and give me an opinion, any opinion (besides flames). Believe me, they give me the confidence to continue this, my flagship story.**


	15. Let Battle Commence!

**OK, looks like the story's speeding along nicely, so, without further ado, here's Chapter 15!**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**FIGURE IT OUT  
**

**CHAPTER 15: LET BATTLE COMMENCE!**

* * *

The next morning dawned bright and cold. The first contest battles would be held today, and everyone was eager to see the displays that the remaining coordinators would put on. Ash and the gang looked at the pairings for the first round, and Ash's eyes widened when he saw who he'd been drawn against.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" he shouted as he looked at the board. "If I win my first battle, I'm more than likely going to battle Drew! Where's the justice?"

"Calm down, Ash," May told him, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You can beat him, and then I won't have to deal with him anymore."

"Ah, you see, that's where you're wrong," said an all-too-familiar voice. Drew appeared right next to May, an arrogant sneer on his face. "For it is _I_ who will have the last laugh, and prove once and for all that I am more worthy of Miss Maple's affections." He flipped his hair and walked off, leaving the pair behind.

"Don't give it too much thought, Ash," May said, as Ash shook with barely controlled rage. "He's just full of hot air, and never backs up what he says. He's not worth your time."

"Well, he's not beating me," Ash growled, and they waited for the competition to begin.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, our first contest battle is about to begin!" Lilian Meridian shouted as the judges took their places. "At the end of the day, eight coordinators will advance to compete in the quarterfinals! Now for our first two competitors! On my right, it's Paul, and on my left, it's Zoey!" The board lit up with the two trainers' faces and a points meter below each one. Paul scowled at Zoey, who simply smirked at him. Now they would settle the score once and for all. "Alright, we've got five minutes on the clock, so let's get busy!"

"Electabuzz, Honchkrow, stand by for battle!" The intimidating black crow appeared above the scowling Electric-type, ready to fight.

"Alright, then, Glameow and Shellos, curtain!" On Zoey's side, a haughty-looking gray cat stood behind a small pink sea slug, facing Paul's Pokemon with confident smirks. Zoey decided to kick the battle off herself. "Okay, Shellos, Water Gun! Glameow, jump and use Shadow Claw!" Shellos fired a stream of water from its mouth, aiming for Electabuzz, while Glameow leaped into the air and prepared to strike Honchkrow, its paw creating an illusory black claw with a violet outline.

"Electabuzz, take out that Water Gun with Thunder! Honchkrow, use Night Slash on Glameow!" Electabuzz's horns began sparking, and it reared back to fire the electric blast, while Honchkrow's wing glowed dark purple as it raced at Glameow, a fierce grin on its face. The two attacks collided, creating a purple-tinted explosion, dropping both Paul and Zoey's points a little. For Electabuzz's part, its Thunder attack completely eliminated the Water Gun, sending droplets of water everywhere in a sparking explosion. The attack struck Shellos head-on, and Zoey's points dropped a little further.

"Glameow, fight back with Iron Tail! Shellos, Mud Bomb on Electabuzz!" Glameow's spiral tail began to glow white, and it swung down towards Honchkrow, striking it on the wing and reducing Paul's points a bit, while Shellos recovered from the Thunder and launched blobs of light brown mud at the Electric Pokemon. Electabuzz dodged Shellos' Mud Bomb, and it appeared right next to Glameow in mid-air, its fist crackling with electricity. Both trainers' points dropped a bit more, with Zoey having just a few more than Paul.

"Brick Break, Electabuzz! Honchkrow, dive at Shellos and use Sky Attack!" Electabuzz swung its fist towards Glameow, who ducked the blow and attacked with another Iron Tail, sending the Electric Pokemon flying. Paul's points dropped even more, and stood at about half their original total. Honchkrow's body began to glow a harsh white, and dived towards Shellos, who stood firm, waiting for orders.

"Glameow, Shock Wave on Honchkrow! Shellos, stop Sky Attack with Hidden Power!" Glameow's tail sparked blue, and fired small lightning bolts at Honchkrow's tail feathers, while Shellos shot small glowing spheres at the Big Boss Pokemon, knocking it off course and dropping Paul's points again. But one Pokemon had been left out of the assault, and Paul was ready to take advantage.

"Honchkrow, double back and use Dark Pulse! Electabuzz, Thunder, now!" Honchkrow shot a black-and-purple stream of distorted energy at Zoey's Pokemon, and Electabuzz reared back again and launched a beam of electricity at them as well.

"Glameow, counter Thunder with Shock Wave! Shellos, use Hidden Power to stop that Dark Pulse!" The Catty Pokemon fired another blue spark at the other Electric-type move, merging with it and creating a blue-yellow glow, and Shellos' Hidden Power caused a dark-colored explosion as it hit the Dark Pulse. The two trainers' points fell again, and just as the four Pokemon landed, a tone sounded, and the clock was shown to have expired.

"Time's up!" Lilian shouted. "And the winner is..." All eyes turned to the electronic scoreboard, where the two trainers' points were displayed. Zoey's were just a sliver higher than Paul's so as a result... "Zoey's the winner! Both trainers showed exquisite technique and power, but only one could go through! Zoey will advance to the quarterfinals, but Paul should feel proud of himself and his Pokemon for putting up such a solid effort!" Paul and Zoey walked towards each other, both glaring at each other. Paul held out his hand, his eyes hard as stone.

"Don't think this changes anything," he growled as he shook hands with Zoey.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Zoey snapped back and they left the contest stage, neither looking at the other.

* * *

"Wow, Zoey, you really nailed it out there!" Dawn squealed as the pair entered the staging area, Paul making a beeline for the exit as he approached. "I guess some things never change," she added, sweatdropping.

"I'll say," Zoey said, smiling as she walked up to the gang. "I must say, though, I was kinda impressed with how his Pokemon moved. They may be fighters, but they're not too shabby at contests, either."

"Well, you should both be proud of your battle today," May told her. Zoey nodded in thanks, then headed off towards the stands. "So, Dawn," she said to the bluenette, who was staring after Paul, her eyes glazing over again. "Er-hem, _Dawn!_"

"Wha? Oh, sorry, May, I was just thinking. What were you saying?"

"I was saying, who's up for today's battle round?"

"Oh, Piplup and Buneary, of course! I think I'll win the first battle, then use Cyndaquil and Mamoswine for the second round." Piplup nodded and stood tall, showing his readiness, while Buneary was nowhere to be found. "Oh, no, where's Buneary? Piplup, come on, we've got to find her!" The blue Penguin Pokemon jumped into Dawn's arms as she ran off to find the wayward Buneary.

"Okay, see ya later...I guess," May said weakly, watching Dawn run off. A moment later, Ash appeared with Pikachu on his shoulder. Pikachu jumped off of Ash into May's arms and began nuzzling her cheek, while Ash grinned slightly and took his fedora off.

"Hey there, May!" he said brightly as he watched May stroke Pikachu's fur. "I saw Dawn run off just a minute ago, what happened? Did her hair get messed up again?"

"No, she went looking for Buneary," May said, Pikachu still in her arms. "That little Pokemon is so cute, but such a bother when she runs off. As a matter of fact," she added, smiling to herself, "why doesn't Pikachu go find Buneary and bring her back to Dawn? I have something I want to talk to Ash about."

"What's that? Oh, right, I hear ya. Pikachu, you heard May, go find Buneary for Dawn." Pikachu sighed, knowing what to expect from the flirtatious Rabbit Pokemon, and ran off. Ash turned to May with a raised eyebrow. "So, what do you want to talk to me about?"

"Well, actually, it's about the contest, Ash. What if we end up battling each other?"

"Don't you worry about that, May." Ash told her, smiling comfortingly. "We can't let something like that get in the way of our friendship. Remember the Terracotta Contest?"

"Yeah," May said quietly, remembering the battle back in Kanto that won them the split medal that symbolized their relationship. "You're right, Ash. I can't let something small like that wreck our friendship." The monitor flashed, indicating that Drew's battle had finished, and that Drew would be advancing to the next round. May looked to see Ash's face appear alongside another, unknown female trainer's. "Ash, you'd better hurry up! You're next!"

"What?" Ash couldn't believe that the time had flown by so quickly. "Alright, May, I'll see you after the battle. Don't worry, I won't lose!" He kissed May on the cheek before hurrying off to the contest stage, leaving her red-faced and smiling.

* * *

"Okay, folks, we've got our fourth Contest battle ready to go! The winner of this round will face Contest favorite Drew in the quarterfinals! On my left, it's Ash! And on my right, it's Kathryn!" Kathryn was a younger coordinator with dark green hair and worried brown eyes, which were wide with nervousness at the moment. She idolized May and Dawn, and often asked for their advice before a contest. "We've got five minutes on the clock, so let's get busy!"

"Now, Corphish and Swellow, I choose you!" A red crab appeared on the ground, flipping as it emerged, while Ash's navy and red Swallow Pokemon appeared above it, its plumage shinier than usual for the match.

"Beautifly and Dustox, let's get going!" Kathryn cried out as she released her Pokemon. From the two Pokeballs she tossed appeared a serene butterfly, its multicolored wings shining, and a hyperactive-looking purple moth, both prepared to battle. Ash indicated that Kathryn should start off, so she called out her first moves. "Now, Beautifly, Silver Wind! Dustox, push it ahead with Whirlwind!" Beautifly's wings glowed, and it launched silvery crescents of energy at Ash's Pokemon. Dustox whipped up a fierce wind and directed it at the Silver Wind, making them approach Corphish and Swellow with even greater speed. As a result, Ash's points dropped slightly.

"Corphish, counter with BubbleBeam! Swellow, attack Dustox with Aerial Ace!" Corphish raised its claw and fired a stream of rainbow-colored bubbles at the Silver Wind, causing an explosion. Swellow raced at Dustox, its body surrounded by streaks of white light, and crashed into the Poison Moth Pokemon, causing major damage to the Bug-type. Kathryn's points dropped significantly after this assault, and she looked visibly nervous as she ordered her next attack.

"Okay, Beautifly, use Psychic on Corphish! Dustox, use Light Screen!" Beautifly's eyes glowed blue, and so did Corphish, who looked around in a panic as he was lifted off the ground. As Swellow looked back, Dustox's eyes glowed bright yellow, and a yellow box appeared around itself and Beautifly, mixing with the Psychic to create a blue-tinged glow; Ash's points dropped a bit more.

"That won't stop physical attacks! Swellow, hit Beautifly with Quick Attack! Corphish, break out of that Psychic and use Crabhammer!" Swellow rushed at Beautifly again, a blinding white light following its wings. As it struck Beautifly, the Bug-and-Flying type lost its concentration and the Psychic attack broke. Corphish, noticing that it was free, charged at Dustox and slammed its glowing blue claw into the moth. Dustox flew away, shaken up by the fierce attack, and Kathryn's points dropped even more from this exchange, leaving her with about a quarter of her original total. Both trainers glanced at the clock, which had ticked down to forty-five seconds, and they knew this would probably be their last move.

"Dustox and Beautifly, unleash a double Silver Wind!" Kathryn shouted with ill-disguised urgency, and the two Bug-types flew back and flapped their wings, releasing more silvery crescents.

"Corphish, stop them with BubbleBeam! Swellow, help Corphish out and use Aerial Ace!" Corphish fired more multicolored bubbles, and Swellow rushed straight into the path of the Silver Winds. The bubbles collided with the shining crescents, and Swellow flew through the explosion to strike both Dustox and Beautifly. Both Bug-types fell backward, but couldn't counter because the timer had reached zero.

"Time's up!" Lilian cried, and everyone looked at the board. Kathryn's points had dipped dangerously close to zero, and Ash's had taken a considerable hit too; but Ash's were still higher than Kathryn's. "Our winner is Ash! All four Pokemon had the most beautiful moves, but in the end it's the team of Corphish and Swellow who takes the victory!" Ash and Kathryn approached the centre of the stage, and Ash held out a hand.

"That was a good battle, Kathryn. I liked the way you combined Dustox and Beautifly's moves."

"Thanks, Ash. I'll keep working hard, and someday we'll win!" With that, both competitors headed for the staging area to await the next battle.

**So there you have it, folks. Ash, Zoey and Drew will be advancing to the next round, and Gary, Dawn and May are still to come! I figured a match between Zoey and Paul would better build the tension between them, and only time will tell what becomes of those two.**

** All that said, please read, REVIEW (I've almost hit 50), and tell me what ya think! I'm not the best at writing contest battles, so constructive criticism would be welcomed! Until next update, this is SJShark23 going on station.**


	16. Better Than Advertised

** Hey, folks, tired of me yet? After a good while, here's Chapter 16. I'm gonna briefly mention the four other contest battles and then get into a less battle-oriented mindset. Hopefully this'll be better than most of the stuff I've written so far. After all, this IS supposed to be a romance story; however, it's tough for me to write this long a story while trying not to repeat myself...but I digress. Let the battle...er, I mean, chapter...BEGIN!**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**FIGURE IT OUT  
**

**CHAPTER 16: BETTER THAN ADVERTISED**

* * *

Gary lost his contest battle, and Dawn won hers to set up a quarterfinal clash with her childhood rival, Kenny. The last of the gang to battle was May, and her Munchlax and Beautifly dominated their opponents. When the dust settled and the crowd dispersed, the group headed to the Viridian Pokemon Centre to heal their Pokemon and decide on what to do next. Dawn wanted to go shopping again, which May quickly seconded, but the boys balked at the suggestion. Gary had to go to an open house at Saffron University, so he couldn't go with them, to Ash's slight relief; he didn't need Gary's ribbing for the rest of the afternoon.

"What about you, Paul?" Dawn asked the purple-haired trainer, eager to have some male company besides Ash. Paul simply shook his head and headed for the door.

"I've got other stuff to do, so the answer's no," he growled, and this being said he walked away, lighting a cigarette as he exited the Centre. A few seconds later, all that remained of his presence was a cloud of smoke. As Paul left, who should enter but Brock, followed by Happiny, who was carrying a large box labeled "FRAGILE". As he set the box down, he noticed his three old friends, and walked over to them, grinning.

"Hey you guys, what's the deal?" he asked them, waving as he approached. The others waved back, and Brock motioned Happiny towards the Pokemon lounge, and the Playhouse Pokemon dashed away to meet Pikachu and Piplup, both of whom were hanging around there as well.

"So Brock, what're ya doing here?" May asked, watching Happiny run off. "I thought you ran the Breeder Centre in Pewter City now."

"Oh, don't worry, I still do, but Nurse Joy asked me to bring that box over to the Pokemon Centre, and I could never refuse her."

"Well, I certainly appreciate it," the aforementioned Pokemon Nurse said from behind him, carrying a tray of Pokeballs. "May, Dawn, Ash, I've finished taking care of your Pokemon, so they should all be set to go." As the three trainers took the balls, Brock's eyes lit up and he grasped Joy's hand, dropping to a knee as he did so.

"Nurse Joy, it is my honor to assist a Pokemon Nurse in need. Perhaps when all the hubbub of Pokemon Centre work subsides, we can go find a nice..." As Brock launched into his usual routine, a small blue frog-like Pokemon popped out of his Pokeball and jabbed him in the stomach, causing him to collapse to the ground. "...hospital," Brock finished with a groan as Croagunk dragged him away, chuckling to himself.

"Well, Brock's certainly going to feel that later," May said with a smile, trying to diffuse the awkwardness. "Sooo, anyway, what're we going to do? Paul's gone off to who knows where, and Gary can't come with us, so it's just the three of us."

"Um, actually, it's just the two of you, May," Dawn said with an apologetic tone as she looked at her Poketch. "I'm gonna go home to work with Cyndaquil and Mamoswine for the next round, so I can't go with you guys." She winked at May as she said this, causing both she and Ash to look at her with raised eyebrows. "Oh, come on, you guys! You two...together..._alone_..." Dawn emphasized the last word with a sly grin. "I really am sorry, guys, but that's just the way things are. I'll see you later!" she called as she ran out of the Centre herself, Piplup in tow, and Brock returned to talk to Ash and May.

"What's with Dawn?" he asked as he watched Dawn run off. "Ah, it probably doesn't matter. Listen, I've got to get back to the breeder centre, but I should still be around if you need someone to talk to."

"Sounds good, Brock," Ash said as Brock waved to the pair and headed out of the Pokemon Centre. He turned to May and smiled weakly. "So...what should we do now?"

"I don't know, Ash," May replied, looking at the ceiling. "Now that Gary, Dawn AND Paul are out of the picture, I've no clue where to go or what to do."

"We could go see another movie, and then grab some dinner afterwards. I noticed one advertised that would be a lot better for a date than that action movie Gary talked us into seeing."

"I guess so...wait a minute, did you just say _date_?"

"Um, yeah, I did. Is that a problem?" Ash said, sounding concerned. "I figured it'd be a good way to forget about the contest and whatnot, and..." As he began to ramble, May silenced him by pulling him into a kiss. When she backed away, his eyes widened in shock. "What'd ya do that for? Not that I'm not happy about it, but..."

"Ash, I've been waiting for a while now for you to ask me something like that. Now that we've pretty much made it obvious that we're going out, we might as well make it obvious to ourselves. So, what time?"

"Uh, I'd say the 8:30 showing. It's early enough that our parents won't be concerned, but late enough that we—and by we I mean you—can get ready and everything." Ash smiled and motioned to Pikachu to come over, and the Mouse Pokemon leaped onto his shoulder. "Alright, if we're gonna pull this off, we'd better get going. You want to run home, or should I have Staraptor fly us?"

"I'd say fly home, otherwise we're gonna cut even the 8:30 close," May told him, and Ash released his Predator Pokemon and they leaped onto his back, ready to depart for home.

* * *

When they reached May's house, Ash helped her down from Staraptor's back, and she kissed Ash before thanking Staraptor and running into her house. Ash watched the door shut, then recalled Staraptor and ran home, Pikachu following close behind. He hurried into the house and stopped short to explain rather hurriedly to his mother that he and May would be going to see a movie and would be home at some point. After Delia nodded and returned to her reading the newspaper, Ash ran upstairs and tossed his hat and sweatshirt into a corner of his bedroom, proceeding to tear the room apart in search of something decent to wear.

"Pi pika pikachu chu pika pikachu, pikapi? (_Are you OK, Ash, 'cause you're acting really nervous._)" Pikachu asked with a raised eyebrow as Ash threw item after item of clothing across the room, growling in frustration.

"No, Pikachu, I'm not nervous at all!" Ash said unconvincingly as he discarded a polo shirt with blue and black vertical stripes, shaking his head furiously. When Pikachu looked at him, completely unconvinced, Ash sighed deeply. "Alright, fine, I'm nervous. This is my first official date with May, after all, and it's not like we know what to expect, right? Right?" he asked wildly, and Pikachu sighed himself.

"Pikapi, pikachu pikaka chu. Pikachu pika pi chu pika. (_You've gotta calm down, Ash. You'll be fine._)" the little yellow mouse said, jumping onto Ash's shoulder and patting his cheek. "Chu pikachu pika pikachu pi. (_Just be yourself, and it'll go like clockwork.)_

"Thanks, Pikachu," Ash said, reaching up and scratching Pikachu's ears. "You're right, I've just gotta be calm and cool, and it'll go perfectly. Now, to find a decent pair of dress pants, where would I look first..."

The search for appropriate attire went on for about an hour and a half (most of it spent returning the room to its pre-dismantled state), but finally Ash found what he thought would look alright on a date. He'd chosen a white polo shirt with a navy stripe across the chest, and found a pair of black dress pants that contrasted well with the white shirt. He'd discarded his well-worn running shoes and replaced them with a pair of dark sneakers that blended with the pants. He decided not to wear his baseball cap tonight, and tossed it with his Pokemon League hat on the shelf in the closet. After he looked at the clothes lying on the bed, he nodded in satisfaction and ran to catch a shower before he left.

* * *

An hour later, Ash walked up to the Maples' doorstep and breathed in heavily before knocking on the door. After a few seconds, Max appeared at the door and grinned as he saw his friend.

"Hey, Ash, how's it going? Um..." Max cocked an eyebrow, "why're ya all dressed up like that? It's not the contest, is it?"

"No, Max, I'm going on a date with May tonight. That's why." Ash told the fourteen-year-old with a slight grin. He knew Max was aware of his and May's relationship, and also knew that some comment was soon to follow. True to form, Max did not disappoint.

"Hey, May, your boyfriend's here!" the bespectacled boy shouted up the stairs, and May shouted something indiscernable in response. "So, um, why don't you come inside? I think she's gonna be a few minutes." Ash entered the house, and was greeted by Norman and Caroline.

"Hello, Ash, how have you been?" Caroline asked as Ash nodded in acknowledgement.

"I'm fine, Mrs. Maple. Things have been pretty quiet lately, considering." Caroline nodded as well; she knew full well what was going on between Ash and her daughter, as well as May's consistent struggle to get Drew off her back. "May and I figured it'd be a good idea...if...we..." Ash didn't even finish his sentence; he just stood there, dumbfounded as he saw May walk down the stairs.

May looked, for lack of a better term, profoundly striking. She had exchanged her red shirt for a tight pink one that accentuated the curves of her body and also contrasted with the knee-length black skirt she'd picked for the night. On her feet were a pair of flat black dress shoes, and she'd worn the heart necklace that usually accompanied her Arab-themed Wallace Cup outfit. Her light brown hair had been brushed in such a way that it cascaded like a waterfall to the middle of her back. She smiled nervously as she watched Ash stare at her, hoping he liked the look.

"Wow, May, you look...amazing," Ash said, shaking his head to clear it. He looked at the floor for a few seconds, trying not to let May's appearance distract him, and took a deep breath. "So...d'you wanna get going?" he asked her, ignoring Max's smirk from beside him.

"Sure, let's get a move on." May said, pulling Ash out the door with her. "We'll be back at some point!" she called to her parents who shouted goodbyes as the couple hurried into the distance.

"Don't be playing kissy-face too long!" Max shouted after them, receiving a disapproving look from Caroline and a head shake from Norman. May ignored him and continued towards Viridian City, Ash following close behind.

* * *

When they reached Viridian, it had just gone eight, so they had a half hour to go buy tickets for the movie and get settled. The film's tagline was "Two Runaways...One Love...No Limits", which struck Ash as funny, because to him being a runaway sounded pretty limiting. After he bought the tickets (he insisted paying for both his and May's, despite the latter's protests), they headed over to the snack counter, where they loaded up on popcorn and soda. Once the refreshments were taken care of, they headed into the main theater, where they found seats close enough that they could see, but far enough back that any "extracurricular activities", if any, between the pair wouldn't be too noticeable.

"Alright, then, time to see if this movie's any good," May whispered to Ash, who nodded and put his arm around her. May responded by leaning against his chest, smiling at the proximity. True to its billing, the movie was about a boy and girl from a rough neighborhood running away from home after the girl became pregnant. The plot developed to show the couple's growing love, their families' reaction, and culminated in the birth of their child. May felt a tear run down her cheek during a particularly heart-rending moment where the boy attempted to explain himself to the girl's parents, and the father pretty much became a human Mt. Chimney when he heard what was going on.

"Let's hope that never happens to us," May heard Ash murmur to himself, and she nodded in response; if that ever did happen to them, Norman would probably blow a fuse as well. A lot of people thought Paul had a temper; they obviously hadn't seen her father in a similar mood. After about an hour and a half, the film ended with a shot of the couple standing in the sunset, the girl holding their infant son, ready to face any hardship that came their way. The lights came back on, and Ash and May exited the theater, ready to head for their next destination.

* * *

In the small Japanese restaurant next to the theater, Ash and May tried their best not to attack their food too aggressively, mostly because of the slightly formal nature of their outing. Not surprisingly, the couple had each ordered a rather substantial amount of ramen, and it had disappeared rather quickly, despite their efforts not to make a spectacle of themselves.

"So Ash," May said as they got up, as Ash put down enough money to pay for both of their meals, "what're you going to do about your battle with Drew? I mean, he gives me a run most of the time; he'll be gunning for you, and he's looking to humiliate you." Ash's face fell at this; he hadn't once thought of the upcoming contest battle with the arrogant coordinator, having been focused on May all night.

"I'm not sure," he said tentatively as May looked at him with concern. "I think I'll do what I do best and just wing it this time; Drew hasn't seen all my Pokemon yet, after all."

"But that's just what he's going to expect!" May told him as they walked out of the restaurant. "After all these years, all your old rivals and other opponents have gotten used to your out-of-the-box thinking, and they prepare accordingly. Drew's no exception, Ash," she continued, looking at him intensely. "You can bet he'll be ready for your unpredictability, and he'll have a strategy ready to go."

"Let's not worry about that now, May," Ash said, waving off her concern. "You're getting worked up for no reason. Prepared or not, I can take Drew; he's not so great that he can beat me before he even steps on the stage. Right now, I want to focus on us; this is a time for us to enjoy each other's company, not to discuss someone neither of us can stand."

"You're right, Ash." May sighed, smiling as he put his arm around her. "Right now, we're together, and nothing can break that apart. This is no time to worry about Drew; it's just the two of us, and to tell ya the truth, it's the best I could hope for."

"Oh?" Ash said, grinning broadly. "You couldn't hope for better?"

"Not really, but I know what'll make this night even better," May said in a seductive tone, turning to face the boy she loved. Ash took the hint and leaned towards her, their lips colliding as she threw her arms around his neck. As the kiss deepened, May's tongue pushed through Ash's lips, and Ash parted them, allowing his own tongue to enter her mouth. They stood there, locked in their close embrace, for a good minute, then broke apart, blushing furiously. Ash grinned sheepishly as May smiled at him lovingly.

"Well, at least Dawn and her camera weren't here this time." he said, looking at the girl in front of him, the girl he loved so much.

"At least."

**Okay, everyone, hope you enjoyed the enhanced shippyness in this chapter. Next chapter (or in two chapters, depending on how much I want to put it off) will probably be the battle between Ash and Drew. But for now, I'll leave you with this (hopefully) decent excuse for shippyness. As always, please read, REVIEW (note the emphasis), and give me an opinion (besides flames).**

** SJShark23 out!**


	17. Prelude to a Nightmare

**Alright, folks, here's Chapter 17 (yikes!). This is really just the buildup to the Ash-Drew battle next chapter (and maybe open a few doors plot-wise). So enjoy the shippy moments (and my rather obvious revelation of a key plot point, if you can find it).**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**FIGURE IT OUT  
**

**CHAPTER 17: PRELUDE TO A NIGHTMARE**

* * *

The quarterfinals. Eight coordinators go in; only four come out. For many competitors, the coming battles would be great affairs, resultant of weeks of work and training; for Ash Ketchum, the quarterfinals were the most unwelcome occurrence of all.

"I'm still wondering how in Arceus' name I ended up battling Drew!" the raven-haired boy said in frustration, throwing his arms in the air and nearly throwing Pikachu off his shoulder as a result. Pikachu ran over to Dawn, who was holding Piplup in her arms, and she set the Penguin Pokemon down to spend time with the Electric-type. "Of all the people I could've drawn, it had to be him!"

"Ash, calm down!" May said exasperatedly, grabbing his shoulders to calm him. "You're going to be fine out there, even if it is Drew," she told him soothingly, removing Ash's fedora and running her hand through his unruly black hair. "Just stick to your strategy, and you'll beat him."

"Yeah, Ash, don't tell yourself you're beat before you get out there," Gary chimed in. "If you do that, you might as well not even compete."

"Pi pika chu pikachu, pikapi!" Pikachu squeaked, throwing his two cents in.

"Thanks, guys," Ash told them, grinning sheepishly as he took his hat from May and replaced it on his head. "I needed that. You're right, I can't go tellin' myself I'm not good enough. I'm just as good as Drew, and he knows it."

"Do I, Ketchum?" came the snide, taunting voice of Drew, who had walked up completely unnoticed. "Last time I checked, I was the coordinator of the pair of us. As I've said multiple times, your Pokemon are woefully unsuitable for the contest stage; the only Pokemon I've ever seen do well at a contest is that Aipom you caught in Kanto, but you traded it away."

"And that same Aipom is the very Ambipom that's beaten you in this same contest two years running, Drew!" Dawn shouted from behind Ash, and Piplup shouted its agreement. "You're not going to beat Ash easily, if at all!"

"Oh, don't you start, Hikari," Drew sneered, turning on the bluenette. "Why don't you just go cuddle with one of your boyfriends and leave us alone?" This one statement got Dawn riled up, and the whole group braced for the coming outburst.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Dawn screamed, getting right in Drew's face. "IF HE WASN'T PREPARING TO COMPETE, I'D SET MAMOSWINE ON YOU, YOU JERK!" Drew backed off, visibly shaken, as Dawn seethed with anger.

"Alright, alright, I see your point," he said, inching as far away from the raging girl as possible and regaining his composure. "After all, you probably haven't decided whether to throw yourself at Oak or Scott," he added, smirking as his parting shot achieved the desired effect; Dawn was really out of control now.

"YOU...! YOU...!" she sputtered, and Ash and Gary leaped forward to restrain her before she knocked Drew into the next milennium. "I HOPE ASH CLEANS YOUR CLOCK, DREW STANTON!" she shrieked as Drew flicked his hair and walked away, shaking with silent laughter at the current development.

"Um, Dawn," May said, her voice barely above a whisper, "the entire staging area saw and heard you." Dawn turned as red as it was possible to turn as many pairs of eyes stared at her, dumbfounded, and her shoulders slumped in humiliation.

"I'm sorry, you guys. It's just, Drew's been so nasty to Ash, and he thinks that May's gonna leave Ash because he's not a full-tilt coordinator...it's just really, really irritating." Piplup jumped into her arms, squeaking something unintelligible to anyone but Dawn, and she smiled. "Thanks, Piplup, I know. I need to keep myself calm if I'm going to win my battle with Kenny." May turned to Ash as Dawn picked up the small blue penguin and squeezed him tight.

"Hey, Ash, can I talk to you for a second?" she asked, and Ash nodded, following her to a small alcove away from the group. "So what's up?"

"Well..." May began, blushing furiously. "I'm really worried about you, Ash. You've been a total mess since we got here. Earlier, you were puttin' yourself down, and just last night you were really confident. What happened?"

"Uh..." Ash hadn't expected this. "Well...the thing is..."

"What?" May pressed him, her sapphire eyes boring into his auburn ones.

"Well...I'm afraid of messing up in front of you, May," Ash finally answered, his shoulders slumping as he admitted this. "I'm afraid that if I don't beat Drew, you'll think I'm not good enough for you. He's gonna look to make you think just that by beating me today. It's..." May silenced him by pressing her finger to his lips.

"Nothing," she said, "_NOTHING_ is going to change after this battle. Nothing at all." she assured him, putting her hand on his cheek. "I'll probably think a little less of Drew if he beats you, but besides that, not one thing is going to be different. I'll still love you, and hopefully you'll still love me."

"Well, let's confirm that," Ash said as he leaned down and kissed her, putting his arms around her waist. May put her arms around his neck, allowing the kiss to deepen, and they simply stood there, showing their affection for one another. After a minute, they broke apart, and May smiled at him.

"Hopefully there'll be more of that after the battle," she said, winking at him as she walked back to the group. Ash's face turned bright red, and he followed her back.

* * *

"Nice show, you two," Dawn said with a grin as the two red-faced teens returned. "Only _everyone_ saw that! You two really should find a better place to make out; that one's a bit too exposed."

"Now don't go talking like that," Gary said, smirking at Ash. "You know that we'd be making use of that corner if those two weren't already there." Dawn blushed violently at this, and she ran off to try and regain her composure. At that moment, Zoey appeared, her eyes following the bluenette as she scurried away. She shrugged, and walked over to the group.

"Hey, guys," she said, smiling broadly. The others greeted her, except for Paul, who nodded and walked away, muttering something about going for a cigarette. "Well, he could've at least said hi," she said as he walked away, and inexplicably, her cheeks turned a very subtle shade of pink. "Anyway, so May, you ready for our battle today?" she asked quickly, and May gulped; in all her concern about Ash and his battle with Drew, she'd completely forgotten that she was battling Zoey.

"Um, yeah, I'm totally ready to battle you," May said unconvincingly, causing Zoey to raise an eyebrow and Ash to look at her with concern. "Alright, fine, I'm a little rattled, but I'll be good to go once the battle starts."

"I should hope so," Zoey told her, adjusting her contest suit. "Well, anyway, I'm going to go do some final preparations for later, so I'll see you around." she told May, turning pink again. May smiled back, and Zoey walked away, leaving Ash, May and Gary by themselves. May walked off to try and find Dawn, while Gary watched Zoey leave, looking thoughtful.

"Hm," he said, smirking as he made some unknown conclusion. "I never thought I'd say this, but I think Zoey has warmed to our friend Paul. And from Paul's behavior just now, I'd say he's warmed to her, too."

"What makes you think that?" Ash said, taking off his fedora and running a hand through his hair. "It's impossible, Gary. We all know Zoey and Paul can't stand the sight of one another; that's been an established fact since they first met each other."

"Hear me out!" Gary insisted, and Ash raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding his friend's sudden interest in the matter; Zoey and Paul's private lives had nothing to do with either of them. "You may not have noticed, but Zoey almost seemed disappointed that Paul didn't say anything when she arrived. She also turned an almost unnoticable shade of pink when she griped about it."

"And?" Ash still didn't see the significance of this admittedly useless piece of information. "If you want to gossip, Gary, go find Dawn. She loves stuff like that, and since Zoey's one of her best friends, she'd love to find a reason to tease her."

"I'll tell her later," Gary said, waving off Ash's suggestion. "Anyway, you probably noticed that as soon as Zoey arrived, Paul left. To the trained observer, like me, that probably means there's something he's not telling us. Something's going on between those two, and I'm pretty positive what it is."

"So go tell Paul all about your suspicions," Ash said, annoyed that Gary was distracting him with this completely useless information. "I'm sure he'd love to hear about how the one person he dislikes as much as me likes him. Go ahead, see how he reacts."

"Oh, I plan to," Gary said, grinning broadly as he looked at one of the video monitors in the staging area. "Jeez, would you look at the time? I'd better get up to the stands, and you'd better get set to roll, Ash. Your battle's about to start."

"Alright, Gary. I'll see ya later." Gary saluted him, and he headed off to rejoin the rest of the group and their families. May returned as Gary left, and she looked at Ash with even more concern.

"Are you sure you're ready for this, Ash?" she asked him, looking intensely into his eyes. Ash nodded and looked at the monitor, which had a timer counting down to the first battle. He still had five minutes, so he turned back to May.

"May, I'm ready as I'll ever be. I've got the two Pokemon I think can deal out a good amount of punishment yet still look cool doing it. I'm ready to get this going." He leaned down and kissed May on the cheek, causing her to blush. "Don't worry about me, May. I'm going to be fine. You need to concentrate on yourself now. No more worrying about me, alright?"

"Alright," May said, smiling at him. "I'll be pulling for you, Ash. Remember that when you're out there."

"That's just fine with me." Ash looked around to see if anyone was around before asking his next question. "Kiss for luck?"

"Thought you'd never ask," May sighed as she pulled him towards her, their lips colliding again. May giggled slightly as she parted her lips, allowing Ash's tongue to pass through. As they stood there, locked in their embrace, they didn't notice a certain green-haired male approach.

"How touching," Drew sneered as Ash and May broke apart, blushing. "I wonder if Miss Maple will be as willing to engage in such activities with you after you lose, Ketchum."

"Keep wondering, Stanton," Ash growled as he turned to face Drew. Drew smirked and motioned to the door.

"After you, Ketchum. It's only fitting that the second-best be first out."

"Then you'd better go first, Stanton. That way, the second-best is sure to be first out." Drew's eyes narrowed, but he took the hint and walked out first, Ash following, and May watched the two leave, her expression as worried as ever.

**And that's all for this chapter, folks. Next chapter will indeed be the battle between Ash and Drew (just in case anyone was waiting for it). Don't blink or you'll miss it!**

** All accolades aside, please do read, REVIEW (note the emphasis), and tell me what you think! Criticism builds character, as they say, so any constructive criticism is welcomed! Until next update, this is SJShark23 going on station.**


	18. Contest Battle! Satoshi vs Shu!

**Alright folks, here it is: Chapter 18! The long-awaited (I think) showdown between Ash and Drew! Let's get rolling!**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

** FIGURE IT OUT**

** CHAPTER 18: CONTEST BATTLE! SATOSHI VS SHŪ!**

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for our first quarterfinal battle! These two competitors fought hard to reach this stage, and it's safe to say that the coming match will be a thrilling one!" Lilian Meridian's voice echoed throughout the makeshift stadium, nearly drowned out by cheers and applause. "To my left, a three-time quarterfinalist, hoping to reach the semifinals for the first time since his freshman year, let's have a big hand for Drew Stanton!"

A thunderous ovation accompanied the green-haired coordinator's arrival as he stepped onto the stage, flicking his hair and waving to the crowd. Basically everyone except a small contingent in the northern stands were extremely enthusiastic about seeing Drew arrive. His white tuxedo shone in the midmorning sun, and he had used more hair gel than necessary, making it shine as well.

"That showoff has no chance," Paul said gruffly, shaking his head. "If he thinks dancing Pokemon can beat true battling Pokemon, he's more messed up in the head than I left him a week ago."

"True, but remember, he is a natural coordinator," Norman said, adding his opinion. "I'm sure he's done his homework on Ash's tendencies during battle, and will be ready to counteract them."

"And on my right," Lilian's voice shouted to the entire crowd, "is a first-time quarterfinalist, having only entered the contest for a change of pace in years past! Give it up for Ash Ketchum!" Ash walked slowly to the stage, his eyes hidden by his black fedora. The cheers for Ash's entrance were slightly more subdued, but his friends were loudest of all.

"Come on, Ash!" Misty called from the front of the group. "Show Drew what you're made of!"

"Do us proud, kid!" Tracey added from beside his girlfriend.

"Take him down for May, Ash!" Gary called, adding his two cents.

"The competitors look set to go!" shouted Lilian. "There's five minutes on the clock! So now, without further ado, let's get busy!" A tone sounded, and the timer began counting down, starting the battle.

* * *

"Alright, Roserade and Flygon, let's go!" Drew hurled two Pokeballs onto the stage, and they burst open, revealing his signature Roserade, who waved his bouquet-like hands as he emerged. Roserade was followed by a lime-green dragon with red-tinted eyes, whose tail slammed the ground before it hovered behind its battle partner. Ash nodded in acknowledgement of the strong pair and threw his own Pokeballs out.

"Okay, Drew, let's mix it up! Buizel, Glalie, I choose you!" The orange Sea Weasel Pokemon emerged, surrounded by his lightning bolt seal, followed by a white-bodied Pokemon with black spots and horns. Its mouth looked to be in a permament sneer, and its cold blue eyes were narrowed as it glared at its two opponents. Drew nodded as well and started his attack.

"Flygon, use DragonBreath! Roserade, Magical Leaf!" Flygon gathered a blue-white sphere of energy in its mouth, and released it in a stream of superheated air. Roserade added its Magical Leaf to the mix by making the glowing leaves spin around the DragonBreath, creating a blue-green glow as the attacks headed for Glalie and Buizel.

"Look at that, folks! Roserade has created a powerful swirl of leaves around that DragonBreath, creating a fantastic glow!" came the everpresent commentary from Lilian.

"Buizel, use Water Gun to stop DragonBreath! Glalie, Ice Beam on the Magical Leaf!" Buizel reared back and sprayed a jet of water from its mouth, creating an explosion that sprayed the stage with water droplets. For its part, Glalie fired a jagged blue-white beam at the scything leaves from between its horns, freezing them into small icicles that crashed to the ground and shattered innocuously. Both Ash's and Drew's points dropped a bit after this first exchange. "Alright, let's shift gears, you two! Buizel, use Ice Punch, and Glalie, use Double Team!" Buizel's paw began to glow a bright blue as it leaped at Flygon, and Glalie formed multiple copies of itself, surrounding the combatants. Drew's points decreased ever so slightly.

"Flygon, blast that weasel with Hyper Beam! Roserade, hit those Double Team copies with Petal Dance!" Flygon flew back to give itself time and space to launch its attack, causing Buizel's Ice Punch to miss its mark. Roserade spun like a top, flinging pinkish flower petals at the illusory Glalie around it. As the petals hit the copies, they dissipated, but one Glalie still remained: the real one. Ash watched as his and Drew's points fell. "Flygon, quick! Fire that Hyper Beam!" Flygon, having charged sufficiently for the attack to work, fired the yellow-orange beam of light towards Glalie.

"Don't let that stop you, Glalie! Icy Wind!" Glalie's mouth opened, and it sprayed the area with a cold breeze, causing Roserade to shiver from the super-effective move, but the Hyper Beam cut through it with little effort and slammed into Glalie, causing it to shy back in pain. Both competitors' points dropped, but Ash's points took a harder hit, dropping him to just above half.

"Alright, Roserade, hang back and protect Flygon while it recharges! Use Magical Leaf if they come after you!" No sooner had Drew issued this command that Ash ordered Buizel to use Water Pulse, and the watery orb that resulted hit Roserade, knocking it over. Drew's points dropped a fraction, but that wasn't his only problem; when it got up, Roserade looked around wildly, not knowing where it was or what it was doing. The Water Pulse, combined with its recent Petal Dance, had completely confused it, and Ash smirked at this. Drew growled angrily; _this_ wasn't in the plan at all!

"Looks like Roserade's a bit disoriented after that exchange!" Lilian cried out. "With Flygon recharging, can Drew hope to hold back Ash's attack?"

"You bet I can!" Drew snarled, as he noticed Flygon begin to move again. "Flygon, hit Glalie with Flamethrower! Roserade, try and hit Buizel with SolarBeam!" Roserade fired its SolarBeam wildly into the sky, causing Drew to lose a few more points, but Flygon's Flamethrower attack seemed ready to hit Glalie and finish it off; the damage from the Hyper Beam had tired it considerably.

"Buizel, go for Flygon with Ice Punch! Glalie, Gyro Ball and then Ice Beam!" Buizel leaped at the Mystic Pokemon with a glowing blue paw again, while Glalie began to spin rapidly, its body surrounded by a blue-white ring, and then lashed out with the jagged blue beam.

* * *

"Check that out!" Max shouted from the stands. "Glalie learned Gyro Ball! I never knew Glalie could defend itself from Fire-type moves that way!"

"It's his patented Counter Shield, kid," Paul growled from beside the bespectacled fourteen-year-old; he'd experienced the Counter Shield firsthand when he'd battled Ash in the past, and now Glalie was able to use it.

"Even so," Misty told them, "an Ice-type move is really only going to blunt the effect, not stop it completely. I doubt Drew will let Ash get away with that one more than once."

* * *

The Flamethrower hit the Ice Beam and caused a cloud of gray smoke to appear at the point where they collided. As Flygon watched Glalie fend off the super-effective move, Buizel zoomed up and dealt it a sharp left to the flank, causing a patch of ice to appear on the dragon's side. In retaliation, Flygon swatted Buizel back with its tail. Both competitors' points dropped again; Ash had about a third of his points remaining, and Drew wasn't too far ahead of him. The clock read two minutes to go; time to get serious.

* * *

"All four Pokemon are running out of steam," Reggie noted from the stands. "I don't think Glalie would've survived that Flamethrower, and Flygon's taken its fair share of damage as well. It's going to be a wild finish."

"True," Norman agreed, looking down at the stage. "Ash may have been able to stop Flamethrower then, but after that, who knows? Roserade's still confused, and Buizel's a bit dazed from being whipped by Flygon's tail. We'll just have to wait and see how these last two minutes play out."

* * *

"Roserade, snap out of it and use Magical Leaf! Flygon, DragonBreath again!" Roserade shook its head to clear it, and fired the glowing leaves straight at Buizel, who jumped to try and avoid them, but the Grass-type attack redirected and sent Buizel tumbling to the stage, a cut on its arm from the scything leaves. Flygon fired DragonBreath again, and Glalie countered with Icy Wind, creating another explosion in the middle of the stage. The clock hit 1:30; time was running out on both competitors as their points dropped again, Drew's still a sliver higher than Ash's.

"Take 'em out, you two! Ice Aqua Jet, let's go!" Buizel surrounded itself with water and jumped at Flygon, while Glalie fired an Ice Beam straight at its partner, causing the Aqua Jet to freeze, and Drew to snarl in frustration; even after seeing it used a few times when he watched Ash and May practice together, he still wasn't ready for it.

"Flygon, use Flamethrower on Buizel! Roserade, Petal Dance on Glalie!" Flygon's Flamethrower melted a little bit of the ice surrounding Buizel, but the frozen Water-type crashed into the lime-green dragon and sent it careening backward, causing Drew's points to dip once again, this time slightly below Ash's. Roserade still had its attack coming, though, and it sent the sharp petals at Glalie, who simply glared, waiting for Ash's command.

"Glalie, Icy Wind! Buizel, double back and hit Roserade with Ice Punch!" Glalie froze the petals, and they clattered harmlessly to the ground, denting Drew's points. Buizel tried to put Roserade away with its Ice Punch, but Roserade caught the Sea Weasel in its peripheral vision and jumped out of its path at the last second, dropping Ash's points again. Thirty seconds to go.

"Alright, guys, one last move before this thing ends! Glalie, Gyro Ball and Ice Beam! Buizel, Water Gun on Flygon!" Glalie spun again, surrounding itself with the bluish ring and sending Ice Beams swirling around it, nicking Roserade with one of the ice whips and knocking it down; Drew's points fell again. Buizel reared back again and sent the stream of water at Flygon, who floated up and waited for a final command.

"Hyper Beam!" Flygon gathered the yellow-orange energy in its mouth and fired at the Water Gun, cutting through it easily and hitting Buizel hard, but not hard enough to knock it out. As Buizel fell to a knee, a tone sounded.

"Time's up!" Lilian shouted from the announcer's stand. "As we look at the scoreboard, we see that the points are VERY close, and after a battle like that, I'm not surprised in the least! But from the look of the points meters..." she paused as she received official word from the judges, "yes, we have a decision! The victory goes to Ash Ketchum, who will advance to the semifinals as a result!" Ash barely heard her. He dropped to a knee, unable to speak; he'd just beaten Drew, the same coordinator that few had been able to beat before, and even then they were worn out after battling him. Drew, whose taunts and snide comments had driven him to anger more than once. Drew, whom he'd beaten once, for May's affections, and had now defeated again on the contest stage. It was simply overwhelming.

He stood up and walked across the stage, stopping to congratulate Buizel and Glalie, who stood panting at the edge of the blue surface. As he reached the centre, Drew walked towards him, and the green-haired coordinator sighed before speaking.

"You beat me, Ketchum. You beat me again."

"Looks like it. Great battle, Drew, your Pokemon really worked hard out there. You should be proud."

"Yeah," Drew answered, before turning and walking dejectedly off the stage, feeling like he'd been beaten twice. Ash recalled Buizel and Glalie before following, with only one thing on his mind: May's reaction.

**Alright, I'll be the first to say it: my contest battles aren't very good. Don't worry, I'm trying to write as few as I can get away with, but this battle was just waiting to happen. So have ****no mercy in your reviews (note the word **_**REVIEW!**_**) and keep an eye out for Chapter 19!**


	19. Sideshows Unfold

**Hey there folks! After a VERY long while, here's chapter 19, and hopefully it's better than the last one! I'm hoping to get some more of the other shippings into play this chapter, and try to make this story not flame out before I run out of ideas.**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**FIGURE IT OUT  
**

**CHAPTER 19: SIDESHOWS UNFOLD**

* * *

Ash walked slowly back to the staging area, still shocked by his win over Drew. As he approached the building, he saw Kenny and Dawn heading towards the stage, and Dawn stopped as Ash reached her.

"Wow, Ash, I'm impressed!" Dawn told him as Kenny went ahead. "Your Glalie's really strong, but I had no idea it could be flashy as well!"

"Well, I guess we're just full of surprises, huh?" Ash said with a weak grin. Dawn giggled slightly and continued to the stage, and Ash went back to the main competitor's lounge, where he saw May waiting for him. When she saw him, she raced over and wrapped him in a bear hug, taking him by surprise.

"Ash, you did it!" she practically shouted, squeezing him tighter than ever. Ash stiffened and blushed furiously, and after a few seconds May released him. "You actually beat Drew! I knew you could do it, I just knew you could!"

"Well, I think all the training sessions with you and the others really helped," Ash said sheepishly, trying not to blush harder. "If I hadn't worked with you guys, I wouldn't even have been in a position to battle Drew."

"Well, I'm glad you were," May said, giving him a fleeting peck on the cheek. "Listen, I'd better get ready, my battle with Zoey's right after Dawn's. I'll see you afterwards!" she called as she hurried over to make sure her hair was still straight.

"Count on that..." Ash said to himself as he turned to leave the staging area. He was looking forward to hearing his friends' opinions on his battle, and wanted to find them as soon as possible. As he walked through the area, he thought back on the match, remembering the teamwork between Buizel and Glalie, the thrill of the competition, and of course May's overjoyed reaction. He was torn from his thoughts, though, by a rather unusual sight. He shook his head to clear it, blinked twice, and then looked again. No, his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.

Paul and Zoey were partially concealed in a poorly-lit corner, locked in a tight embrace. Zoey had her arms wrapped tightly around Paul's neck, and he had his own wound around her waist. The most shocking part of the entire sight, though, was that the pair were kissing fiercely, seemingly welded together by the lips. Ash smirked at the sight and darted off, making a mental note to tell Gary when he next saw him.

* * *

As Ash reached the stands, he saw a yellow blur rush right for him, and he caught Pikachu as he jumped into his arms.

"Hey, buddy," he said as Pikachu nuzzled his cheek. Gary walked over and slapped him on the back, while the rest of the group were celebrating his victory. Norman shook his hand, and Misty squashed him in a tight hug. Ash sat down between Max and Reggie, shaking hands with the latter as he removed his dress jacket.

"Impressive battle, Ash," Reggie said as Ash leaned back in his seat, the fatigue from his battle with Drew starting catch up with him. "I've seen you use the Counter Shield before, but not the way Glalie blocked that Flamethrower with Ice Beam. I thought for all the world that Glalie was finished."

"It did turn out to be a desperation strategy," Ash said, grinning sheepishly. "I knew that if Glalie went down, not only would I lose a truckload of points, but Buizel wouldn't be able to take on both Flygon and Roserade at once. Thankfully, the Ice Beam Counter Shield worked, but it was a close-run thing."

"Well, it worked, and now you can expect a new challenge in the next round," Reggie said with a smile. Ash grinned back and stood up, moving to where Gary was sitting. Gary grinned and held out his hand.

"It looks like you've claimed another victory, Ashy-boy," Gary said, shaking hands with Ash. "You beat Drew, and now you've got nothing left to worry about until next round. Once May finishes her battle, you two can get back to enjoying each other's company." Gary emphasized his final statement with a sly wink, and Ash shoved him lightly.

"Shut up, Gary," Ash told him, but he couldn't help but grin. The weight of the battle with Drew had been lifted from his shoulders, and he was feeling all the better for it. "You'll never believe who I saw enjoying each other's company, though. You ready for a shocker?"

"Hit me with it," Gary said, his wide grin turning into a smirk. "I like a good shocker now and then."

"Alright, here it is: I ran across Paul making out with Zoey on my way back up here. I guess you were right earlier, Gary; Paul and Zoey really _do_ have something going on. It just took me a while to recognize it."

"Do they, now?" Gary replied, his smirk widening. "Man, am I gonna let Paul have it when he comes back..." He broke off as Dawn's match with Kenny began, and Paul returned to the group, brushing some stray ashes from his jacket. "Hey, Paul, is what Ash tells me true? Could you and Zoey possibly be warming up to each other?"

"We're _what_?" Paul snarled, realizing he'd been found out. "Whatever you think you know, get this straight. I can't stand her. She can't stand me. Figure it out."

"Okay, okay," Gary said, his smirk still on his face. "But I think Zoey's gonna be pretty distracted, knowing that she's got someone waiting for them after the battle..."

"Alright, enough, Gary," Ash said, as he noticed Paul's temper rising. "Come on, shouldn't you be watching your own girl battle? Dawn's gonna want to enjoy _your_ company later, isn't she?"

"Not important right now," Gary retorted, his cheeks turning pink. "Any time we spend together is going to be spent laughing about Paul and his new girlfriend _Zoey_..." At this, Paul threw up his hands in frustration and walk away, muttering something along the lines of "...can't let it go...doesn't know what he's talking about..."

"I think you overdid it," Ash said with more than a little concern in his voice. "You know how his temper gets; he's not going to take this lying down. I'd be careful around him for a while."

"Aw, what's he going to do about it? He'll be pissed off for a day and then go back to the way he usually is. He's just getting used to the fact that he doesn't hate Zoey as much anymore."

"Either that, or he's had enough of you bringing it up," Ash muttered as he turned to the contest battle below. Dawn had almost completely emptied Kenny's points meter, and her Cyndaquil and Mamoswine had outperformed his Empoleon and Floatzel in almost every way. After a few seconds, the timer hit zero, and Dawn advanced to the next round. "Hey look, Gary, Dawn made it! You should congratulate her when she gets back, you know. She is _your_ girl, after all."

"Who's overdoing it now?" Gary asked, his smirk fading a little. Ash shrugged and focused his attention on the tunnel, where his own girl would be emerging in moments.

* * *

May waited in the hallway leading to the contest stage and watched Dawn finish her battle with Kenny with a flourish, leaving the male coordinator flustered and beaten. As she waited, Zoey appeared, straightening her contest suit. The fiery-haired coordinator was looking a little agitated, and her cheeks were a subtle shade of pink.

"Zoey, why do you look so flustered?" May asked, raising an eyebrow; after all, Zoey had been asking her the same thing earlier. "You look like you've been trying to escape from something."

"It's nothing," Zoey answered her, but she was breathless as she said it. "I just got into an argument with Paul again. He was being a jerk as usual and so I gave him a piece of my mind."

_Looks like there's more to it than that,_ May thought, but she kept it to herself. "Well, anyway, are you ready to battle? This is the last battle of the day, so we'd better make it good."

"We'll give them a show they'll never forget," Zoey said, a little distractedly. She held out her hand to May, who shook it, then they walked out of the tunnel and towards the stage.

**OK, a little abrupt at the end, but what can ya do? Having not updated since May and also trying to get my college work done doesn't do much to inspire me. Anyway, I hope this chapter opens a few doors, and that it makes up for the rather predictable previous chapter. SJShark23 going on station.**

_**A/N:**_** I'd like to give credit for the Zoey/Paul moment to DragonforceX, who mentioned something of that nature in a review and inspired me to add it to the story. Thanks for the idea!**


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